By Ling Hui
KUCHING, March 13: Sibu parents are pleading for the reopening of the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) so that they could apply new passports for their children who are travelling overseas for further education.
This was revealed by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting who was bombarded with phone calls by these parents since yesterday (March 12) after the announcement of the further extension of Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) until March 29.
UTC Sibu has been closed since March 1 in tandem with the implementation of CMCO and now with an extension of another 14 days.
“In Sibu, we are under CMCO and at one stage of time we were even under MCO, so our UTC has been closed.
“I think those people who are likely to travel now are the children who have finished Form 5 and are probably going overseas, but they cannot get their passports done.
“The parents are expressing their frustration at the continued closure of UTC in Sibu because the passport department does not process passports outside of UTC.
“So, that is why I received many messages from the people saying that ‘please tell the government, we need the UTC to open’,” said Ting during Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng’s Facebook live session today.
With response to that, Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who was also present at the live streaming, said he would need to find out whether all UTCs are closed statewide.
“I need to find out first whether all UTCs in the state is closed. If it is statewide, on Monday I will bring this up in SDMC’s (State Disaster Management Committee) meeting.
“If it is only in Sibu, the Sibu DDMC (Divisional Disaster Management Committee) will make the decision,” he remarked.
Also present at the session were Miri City Council (MCC) mayor Adam Yii Siew Sang and Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) chairman Lo Khere Chiang. — DayakDaily
