KUCHING, Oct 3: Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has been urged to review the requirements and restrictions imposed on inter-district or interstate movement.
Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said while he himself is a committee member of SDMC, he admits that there are too much restrictions such as the police permit and the permit to enter Sarawak (EnterSarawak application form).
“We have open up more ‘entry points’ starting Oct 1, 2021 from 22 flights to 87 flights per week.
“Will SDMC be able to cater for these thousands of people entering Sarawak? If the committee’s online approval process is only satisfactory, then we better do away (with the restrictions).
“On top of that, individuals entering Sarawak are required to undergo swab tests and so on. If they have been fully vaccinated, why must we stop them from coming in?” he said at a press conference during a working visit to Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) in Kuching today.
He further said the Ministry has introduced the ‘Sia Sitok Accommodation’ initiative and other programmes to encourage domestic tourism but the restrictions imposed on interdistrict travel have become a hiccup to the tourism industry.
Following that, he believed SDMC must fine-tune the restrictions in accordance to the State’s transition into Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan. — DayakDaily
