Free face mask distribution: Sibu residents urged to be patient

Siaw (third left) receives the masks from Ying (third right) during the ceremony while others look on.

SIBU, May 6: Sibu Resident Charles Siaw is urging residents here who have yet to receive face masks from the state government to be patient as distribution will take time.

He made these remarks after receiving 10,000 face masks from the Federation of Foochow Associations of Malaysia welfare officer Ying Tieng Chai here today.

“The distribution of the face masks is in progress. However priority is given to the poor. As for the rest, they need to wait as the distribution cannot be done in one-go,” he revealed, when responding to public complaints about not receiving the face masks.

He noted a total of 50,000 packs of four pieces each were allocated for Sibu town.

Siaw disclosed the Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) and Sibu Rural District Counci (SRDC) are tasked with distributing the masks, while in rural areas, the respective village security and development committee is handling the distribution.

Today’s face mask donation from the People’s Republic of China through the Federation of Foochow Associations of Malaysia is meant for 1,200 frontliners comprising People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) and police personnel in the division, including 995 frontliners in Sibu, 31 in Selangau, and 143 in Kanowit.

“The donation today acts as a supplement to what we have received from the state government for 1,200 frontliners. We expect it to last for a few weeks,” Siaw added. — DayakDaily