LABUAN – Nearly 200 Covid-19 red zone lamp post banners in the town centre have been ordered to be taken down with immediate effect, leaving local folks puzzled over the motive of the order.
A check at areas downtown where the red zone banners were concentrated found Labuan Health Department promotion unit staff busy taking down the banners placed along the main road at Jalan Tun Mustapha.
“Despite having the advertisement permit from the local authority of Labuan Corporation (as written on the banner), the Covid-19 red zone notification banners were ordered to be taken down today,” said an employee who wished to be known as Omar Ali.
He said the same number of banners were also placed in all the 27 villages and residential areas as the duty-free-island had been declared as a Covid-19 red zone on May 17, after having recorded more than 40 cases the past 14 days.
People’s Representative Council chairman Mohd Dzulfaizal Manan said the Covid-19 red zone banners should remain and must not be taken down in view of Labuan’s escalating new cases the last three weeks.
“We hope the red zone banners in the town, villages, and residential areas remain as it is important for the villagers to be alert as to which areas have infections,” he said.
When contacted, a senior official of Labuan Corporation said a directive was issued this morning for all the banners to be taken down immediately.
“We have given the permit for the banners to be put up, but our higher authority wants a fresh application for approval,” he said.
The Malaysian international business and financial centre has been placed under the enhanced movement control order with four active clusters. – Bernama, May 26, 2021
