By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Nov 9: Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) asserts there should not be two sets of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) involving those traveling from West Malaysia to Sarawak.
He alleged that there are two SOPs — one for ordinary citizens and another for government officials and politicians.
Chong who is also the Stampin MP claimed government officials and politicians who come from West Malaysia to Sarawak only have to take a Covid-19 test three days before entering Sarawak, following which, they are exempted from the mandatory 14-day quarantine which others must go through.
Chong was debating on the Temporary Measures for Reducing the Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Bill tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly here today.
He thus questioned the legitimacy of existing law and constitution in Sarawak. He asserted law and constitution bear no legitimacy if not applied to all.
While Chong was speaking, Uggah interjected and questioned if Chong himself had applied to be exempted from following the SOP to which Chong replied in the affirmative.
However, Chong stressed that he and other Democratic Action Party (DAP) representatives who returned from West Malaysia opted for the full 14-day quarantine.
Meanwhile, underlining his belief that fighting the spread of Covid-19 is everyone’s responsibility, Chong said there should not be any partisan approach or attitude in the formulation of policies and measures when it comes to curbing the pandemic.
He strongly objected to Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) measure of not letting the opposition lawmakers aid in the purchase and distribution of food aid by the Sarawak government during the Movement Control Order period earlier this year.
He pointed out that the allocations for food aid of constituencies under the opposition were given to lawmakers of adjacent constituencies to manage. For instance, the allocation for Kota Sentosa, he said, was managed by the representative of Batu Kawah.
“The allocation which was supposed to be allocated for our (opposition’s) areas were not to be managed by our service centres. They were channelled to nearby, the adjacent service centre of the Wakil Rakyat (elected representatives) to manage this fund.
“We have a good system here whereby the whole state is divided into 82 constituencies and those constituencies are respectively represented by their wakil rakyat,” said Chong.
He added that the elected representative of an area is the one who knows the area best and should be given the responsibility to purchase and distribute the food aid.
“Wouldn’t the state YBs, the wakil rakyat be the best person to know their constituency and to manage the purchase and allocation of food aid to the people in their constituency? But why the discrimination?” Chong questioned. — DayakDaily
