By William Isau
SIBU, Jan 1: The Borneo Cultural Festival (BCF) will make a comeback this year after two years of absence.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting, in his 2022 New Year message, said if the situation permits, the council would be able to host more of its annual activities.
The BCF is a week-long celebration of food, music, and performances celebrating the diverse communities in Sibu, such as the Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Ulu, Malay, Melanau, and Chinese.
“In 2022, I hope the pandemic will finally be under control even though the Omicron variant is spreading quickly around the world. This is because we have plans to upgrade the Central, Rejang Park, and Jaya Li Hua markets and start work on the Sungai Merah Market, while the temporary Tiong Hua Market will open soon,” he said.
Ting also recalled the performance of the council last year.
“In July, SMC started expansion works on Jalan Igan, Jalan Wong King Huo at Aman roundabout, and Lorong Aman 7 as well as resurfacing works on Jalan Pahlawan and begun work on Muhibbah Hawker Centre and the temporary Tiong Hua wet market,” he said.
He said though most people were financially affected by the implementation of movement restrictions, the council still managed to collect up to 93 per cent in rates and assessments last year.
“For SMC, the whole year of 2021 can be summed up in one word — pandemic. We lived through the most challenging times throughout the year,” he said.
On January 9, 2021, the announcement of 33 positive cases set the tone for much of the calendar year. Sibu had the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the State for three months.
“When the Movement Control Order (MCO) was declared, many businesses shut down for three months, and some are still closed until today. The council was no different, with services like grass cutting, drain clearing and street sweeping still being carried out for three months. Minor road works began only after June,” he noted.
But with the implementation of vaccination programmes, the number of cases started to drop.
“I would like to take this moment to remember those who passed away due to Covid in 2021. My thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones — stay strong and look forward to a brighter tomorrow,” he said.
Ting also advised the people to continue to abide by the SOP (standard operating procedures). — DayakDaily
