By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Dec 19: Express bus companies have been warned not to ferry illegal foreign workers along their regional bus journey as part of the latest decision made by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
The Sarawak Transport Ministry in a statement said stern action and severe penalties will be imposed upon bus companies if they were found to be ferrying illegal foreign workers.
The Ministry added express bus companies must also make sure that foreign workers who intend to buy bus tickets to travel within Sarawak must first produce their valid passport before any tickets could be issued to them.
“The relevant enforcement agencies such as the Immigration Department, the Royal Malaysian Police Force (PDRM), Road Transport Department have been requested and will randomly do a spot check on regional or express buses especially to detect illegal foreign workers in the state.
“We need the full cooperation of all regional or express bus companies to take immediate action on this directive based on the decision of the SDMC,” it said.
Last Thursday (Dec 17), SDMC said four Indonesian workers who arrived in Sibu as part of the procedures returning to work had undergone the Covid-19 swab test and were tested positive for Covid-19 on December 16.
From the images obtained from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) at the Sibu Bus Terminal, the four Indonesians had boarded a bus with the registration number QSX 6722 owned by Sungai Merah Bus Bhd on December 17.
It gathered that the bus departed from Sibu to Serian at 1 am on the same day. —DayakDaily
