KUCHING: It is now mandatory for all community leaders and village chiefs to report social events such as weddings, funerals and others to their respective District Offices immediately.
State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the District Offices are ready to advise these leaders and help them seek help from relevant agencies to ensure that existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) were complied with during the events.
“These leaders play an important role in keeping the local communities safe from Covid-19.
“The District Offices will direct People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel to ensure that the SOPs are adhered to at these events,” Uggah said at a press conference today.
He said the initiative was effective based on previous experiences in his Bukit Saban constituency.
“In my area, when one person died, the Tuai Rumah told the District Office and Rela personnel were deployed to work at the longhouse throughout the duration of the funeral.
“With Rela there, all SOPs were adhered to. Because the person who died was quite well-known, there was a possibility that hundreds of people would attend the ceremony.
“The Rela personnel on duty determined the procedure for visitors to pay their last respects so that physical distancing, MySejahtera check-in and temperature scanning could be carried out,” he said.
Uggah hoped that the initiative could stop the spread of Covid-19 in the rural areas.
