KUCHING, Oct 29: Sarawak Aspiration People’s Party (Aspirasi) chairman Buln Ribos calls for the Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is also an adviser to SDMC, to explain the exemption for ministers and their entourage to undergo the 14-day mandatory quarantine as implemented.
Ribos in a press statement today, also questioned how does the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) qualifies what are the “essential services” rendered by the ministers and how is this group being justified as providing “essential services”.
“Why is there one set of standard operating procedures (SOP) for arrivals into Sarawak, and a privileged SOP for ministers and politicians entering Sarawak. Does it make any sense to assume that the Covid-19 virus knows who is a minister and politician, from an ordinary citizen?
“Can Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian give an iron-clad guarantee that a minister entering Sarawak can never be a super spreader, especially after knowing that the current strain of Coronavirus in the third wave seems to have a much higher infectious rate,” he asked.
Ribos noted that Covid-19 injures permanently the organs and bodily system of a person who has suffered an infection and even kills.
According to him, the pandemic must not be taken lightly, with different sets of security protocols for different segments of the society.
“Does ‘essential services’ rendered by a minister supersede the ‘essential SOP and safety protocol’ to be observed by ordinary people for the security of the nation facing a pandemic? This double standard which puts people’s lives at risk must stop immediately,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ribos also urged SDMC to realign its SOP and safety protocol for all citizens regardless of their profession.
“It is for standardisation and consistency, including for the health security of the nation, if we are interested to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic as a nation,” he said.
At the same time, Ribos reminded the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) to stop playing politics with people’s lives and stop harping on the need for the 12th State Election when its mandate has eight more months to go.
“Our people are now facing a double whammy of financial difficulties and fear of the surge in Covid-19 infections. It’s the time to care for the people, and not the time now to talk about winning elections,” he advised. –DayakDaily.
