By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 20: The time will come for authorities to take legal action against businesses which fail to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) under Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
In giving this warning today, State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that the authorities and enforcement agencies are still in the monitoring stage and providing guidance to help and ensure economic sectors comply with SOP.
“But there will come a time when we feel advice is sufficient and action will be taken.
“At the moment, let them (business operators) learn and get used to the SOP first. But if the mistakes are intentional, the force of law has to come in,” he told a press conference on Covid-19 today.
He was responding to a question on the lack of compliance in SOP especially the social distancing rule at certain eateries.
Uggah hopes Sarawakians will follow and adhere to the SOP not because they feared the law but rather fully understood that their actions were important for everybody’s safety and health.
“If you view the situation this way and then set your priority to keep not only youself, family members but everyone safe and healthy, then enforcement is not necessary,” he emphasised.
He pointed out that the SOP was not simply established but according to advice from experts especially on social distancing which was evident in reducing the infection rate not only in Malaysia but other countries.
Uggah also said that the Sarawak government had not yetvdecided on whether Sarawakians placed under compulsory quarantine would have to pay 50 per cent of the hotel accommodation cost which the federal government had announced today.
“But foreigners will have to bear the full cost of hotel accommodation for quarantine in Sarawak, while for Sarawakians, it is covered by the state government,” he added.—DayakDaily
