KUCHING, Jan 8: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing Jemut has slammed hotel operators in Sibu for lack of cooperation in refusing to register their premises as Covid-19 quarantine centres.
Masing was perplexed as to why the hotel operators would refuse when the Covid-19 crisis is escalating in the country which requires urgent and large scale responses to be taken by every Malaysians and Sarawakians at both state and national level.
“Covid-19 is a national problem. Therefore, all Malaysians are expected to assist the government-of-the-day to contain the spread of the Covid-19.
“It is most unfortunate that some hotels in Sibu refused to assist in (fighting) a national crisis that has crippled our economy,” he hit out in a statement today.
As of Dec 10, 2020, there is only one hotel in Sibu that serves as a quarantine centre for those arriving in Sabah, while those arriving from Kuala Lumpur are directed to quarantine at home.
Sarawak Central Region Hotel Association chairman Johnny Wong had also expressed that hotel operators in Sibu were not eager to register their premises as Covid-19 quarantine centre as they could not derive business from it.
He explained that the hotel operators would not have much business to do since people either locals or tourists are not flying into the town in droves.
Meanwhile, Masing who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development, emphasised that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government will continue to support Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in this critical period as the country is facing a continued increase of Covid-19 cases.
“In times of a national crisis now due to Covid-19, all honourable Members of Parliament (MPs) and Malaysians should put aside their political differences and act together in helping the government fight and contain this pandemic.
“GPS will continue to support Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as he struggles in containing this deadly Covid-19 which is crippling our economy and social structures,” he said.
Even though not all federal efforts and decisions were to the likes of GPS lawmakers, Masing pointed out that “as loyal Malaysians, we will help him to fight this deadly virus.”
“What former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, DAP (Democratic Action Party) and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) are doing or the lack of it, in trying to contain Covid-19 is an embarrassment in defending Malaysians as a nation in time of national crisis,” he criticised. — DayakDaily
