By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, May 12: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing called on DAP Bintulu publicity secretary Chiew Chan Yew to check the facts and stop making assumptions before criticising the government’s efforts to curb the transmission of Covid-19 in Bintulu.
He alleged Chiew’s open criticism in the media recently was intended to mislead and create misunderstanding and confusion among the public.
Tiong opined that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Bintulu leader was belittling the hard work and sacrifices of the medical frontliners in Bintulu while trying to gain political mileage.
“The proposal by Chiew for free screening is neither practical nor well-considered.
“Just imagine if everyone solely relies on the government for the pandemic efforts and demands free testing and treatment as well as endless subsidies?
“Instead of also advocating for self-compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs), more and more people could become complacent and put it all on the government’s shoulders to contain the pandemic without taking any responsibilities (sic) themselves.
Tiong also questioned whether Chiew understood the challenges faced by Sarawak’s medical system and knew of the many medical personnel seconded from other places to the Bintulu Hospital and Health Department to support the teams here.
“Any shortage of medical personnel in Sarawak has been prevented at least in Bintulu. If Chiew does not know the actual facts, he should not indulge in making assumptions or spread nonsense,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, Tiong who is also the Progressive Democrative Party (PDP) president reiterated his call on businesses, especially large companies with strong financial resources, to cooperate with the government in following Covid-19 preventive measures.
He urges them to fulfill their corporate social responsibilities by paying for their employees’ Covid-19 swab tests.
Tiong noted that it is a heavy burden to spend public funds to bear the cost of testing of private sector employees and expressed belief public resources will soon be exhausted if businesses and the public are resting on their laurels to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from that, Tiong who is also the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to China said he is actively engaging with the Chinese government to acquire Covid-19 vaccines from China.
He added that vaccine shortage is a global problem, highlighting the Sarawak government is also trying its best to negotiate with suppliers to acquire vaccines for Sarawakians. — DayakDaily
