KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) is looking into how to implement more effective enforcement in view of the increase in Covid-19 cases recorded in the state, with many occurring at longhouses.
Its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said this matter would be discussed during the committee’s meeting today (Feb 5).
“The state government will further strengthen and restructure our enforcement machinery from the ground-level. We see that the enforcement is not very tight.
“We will look into the weakness in terms of enforcement, because sometimes there are only three or four officers from the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) taking care of one longhouse – we feel this is not enough,” he said at SDMC’s Covid-19 update press conference today (Feb 4).
He urged more Rela members to come forward and assist in monitoring places under lockdown.
“A few places also have jalan tikus (illegal routes) to go out, which is also a problem, and there seems to be some unnecessary movement and gatherings going on,” he said.
He said the committee had also instructed the police to be more restrictive in prohibiting movements from one district to another.
He assured that the state government would do its best to provide what was required to allow SDMC’s machinery to operate effectively and in an integrated manner in order to curb Covid-19.
Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, called upon longhouse dwellers not to gather with their family members, stressing that each family should isolate themselves and not make physical contact with one another in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
“The quarantine is not that long – only 14 days. Even though it may be difficult, it is for the safety of our loved ones. So I call for the cooperation of all parties, especially longhouse residents.
“There are a lot of cases reported in the longhouses because they failed to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP),” he said.
He pointed out that although it could not be said that there were more cases reported in the state’s rural areas compared to the urban areas, there were many cases reported in rural longhouses now, which were previously green zones.
He said another matter which would be discussed in SDMC’s meeting on Friday was whether there would be an adjustment to the SOPs for certain sectors, in light of Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement that night markets, hair salons, barbershops, and car wash centres would be allowed to resume operations during the movement control order (MCO) period.
“For Sarawak, we will maintain our present SOP, and we will discuss tomorrow (Friday) if there is a need (to adjust the SOP). I am not saying that I do not agree, but at the moment we have not adopted it,” he said.
However, Uggah kept mum on whether SOPs for businesses other than the aforementioned ones would be discussed – “We will tell you after the discussion.”
