KUCHING, Dec 21: Despite being exempted from quarantine, Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen has decided to work from home for the next 14 days.
“Despite having the ‘Exemption’, I will remain at home and work from home to reduce contact with the public during this 14-day period,” he disclosed in a press statement today.
Though cooped up at home, he would still be contactable through his mobile phone and his assistants would be helping out for matters requiring physical appearances on the ground.
To set the record straight, Chong explained that his exemption was obtained through the official channel of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and not through the ‘back door’.
He said his application for ‘Permit to Enter Sarawak’ submitted on Dec 18 was attached with his Covid-19 test results on both Dec 11 and 17 at Parliament, along with the Parliament’s notice of meeting.
On the same day, he received the ’14-day Quarantine Order’ and so he prepared himself for a quarantine, like any other person.
“Upon my arrival at the Kuching International Airport, the APM (Civil Defense Force) officers were surprised to see me with the ’14-day Quarantine Order’ and asked me to submit again for the ‘Permit for Enter Sarawak’ through the SDMC website which I did.
“The same set of documents was submitted. About an hour later, as I was waiting for the bus to take all of us from the same flight to the designated hotel, I received an email from SDMC that an ‘Exemption’ was granted to me.
“I then showed the APM officers on duty the email whereupon my quarantine wristband was removed and I was asked to go home with no requirement for quarantine,” Chong revealed in a statement today.
With his side of the story out, Chong urged for individuals to stop twisting facts and playing the smearing game.
On the same matter, SDMC had yesterday, released an official statement to explain the situation.
The committee revealed an electronic blunder was responsible for Chong being issued a ‘Mandatory Quarantine Order’ rather than the exemption order, seeing that his submission and paperwork was in order, and that his two Covid-19 tests’ results were both negative.
after another round of document submission and verification by SDMC, it was confirmed at 5.12pm that he was cleared to leave the airport without undergoing any quarantine. — DayakDaily
