By Brad Rantayy
MIRI, March 20: Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin has appealed to all air transporters to give priority in the shipment of essential medial supplies such as face masks and sanitisers amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
He reminded the need to prioritised shipment to avoid shortages in Sarawak especially considering the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed by the federal government to address the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
He added that the MCO, declared through the imposition of The Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Declaration of Infected Areas) Order 2020 and Restriction of Movements Order 2020, has affected the volume of air cargo coming from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Sarawak.
“I have received requests from Sarawak suppliers of medical items such as face mask, sanitiser and other medical supplies that need to be brought in from Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak in the shortest time,” he said when contacted.
He added: “I have personally called the general manager of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the chief executive officers of MAS CARGO and POS Aviation for assistance, and they are willing to assist.”
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the restricted order on Monday (March 16) night to prevent further spread of Covid-19. Malaysians are barred from travelling overseas for two weeks, while visitors are not allowed to enter the country.
Schools and non-essential businesses are also closed.
On Wednesday, Muhyiddin said the government may extend the restricted movement order by “another two weeks or longer” if the current measures fail to contain the spread of Covid-19.
He urged Malaysians to just stay at home during the two-week control order enforced from March 18 until March 31, to break the chain of infection. — DayakDaily
