By Indun Silong
The tourism industry is among the worst affected by the Covid-19. Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (who is also deputy chairman of Sarawak Disaster Management Committee —SDMC) was interviewed on this at his residence.
Question: Start with the strategies and methods used by the state against Covid-19?
Abdul Karim: We have the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in which I am the deputy chairman. The members who comprise ministers and senior government officers including those from the Immigration, Police, etc. communicate or meet via video calls every day to discuss the latest situation and decide on issues which need to be addressed. The results of those meetings are announced in the afternoon to the public in press releases or media conferences.
SDMC has a mandate from the state government to set its direction and make its own decision. We don’t ignore directives from the federal government, but there are also decisions implemented specifically for Sarawak to meet its peculiar needs.
How do you see Sarawak’s preparedness?
It is quite good. I don’t think there is any other state in Malaysia which has taken the lead in this matter. It gives me a bit of pride as a Sarawakian. We are ahead in figuring out steps to be taken involving important agencies and departments such as the police, military, immigration, etc.
The current situation is peaceful and under control. But because of Ramadan, Gawai Dayak and Hari Raya Puasa, many people will want to return home. We expect some 5,000 people to return to the state. Of these, one might carry the disease from abroad, Peninsular Malaysia or Sabah. This is what we need to work on to prevent the development of new clusters.
Are we prepared for the 5,000 people?
We must be prepared because we cannot reject our own people. We must have proper procedures, and in the event of an outbreak, we must be in control.
Your ministry and the federal government decided that hotels for quarantine would provide rooms at a rate of RM150 each. How are the response and cooperation in Sarawak?
I would like to thank the hospitality industry for providing hotels for quarantine purposes. They were willing to reduce the rates to a minimum set by the federal government. Some of those under quarantine could be carriers. Hotel staff would then be exposed to the possibility of infection, so we must control it by keeping those being quarantined in their rooms. They are not allowed to go out. In Kuching, there are four hotels involved; in Miri there are nine; and in Bintulu there are two or three. I still don’t know how the hotels are being used in Sibu.
The country’s tourism industry is like a clock that has stopped ticking. Any future plans to help the sector?
The tourism industry is not only hotels and resorts; it includes restaurants, airports, road transportation services and more. Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture) said from January to March, Malaysia suffered losses amounting to around RM9 billion. Sarawak is also heavily affected. It makes us sad, but whatever happens must come to an end. We’ll pick ourselves up.
How much is the estimated loss in Sarawak’s tourism sector?
I have yet to receive the full detail. There will be discussions in the near future to assess the loss. There is a mechanism to calculate it. Malaysia lost RM9 billion over a three-month period, so I dare say Sarawak’s could be ten per cent.
Will there be a tourism stimulus plan or something?
The state government has a huge reserve. The federal government also has certain reserves without which we won’t be able to provide a stimulus package. The tourism industry got the most out of the aid. Our tourism will not bounce back quickly, so we might have to come up with some persuasive moves to jump-start the industry again.
Regarding the annual World Music Rainforest Festival, would it be possible to replace it with an e-concert?
I think all big events this year involving a large number of attendees may be cancelled. Even though we may have zero positive cases in the coming weeks, it doesn’t mean that we are fully recovered. The virus outbreak might return.
Has any sport association made a SOS call to the ministry?
I was in a group chat involving all associations. Some told us about their problems, and we have heard about athletes who have been badly affected. The problem is that we have the movement control order (MCO) which has affected food deliveries, allowance arrangements, and so on. We will assess the situation so that problems like these would never happen again.
