By Ling Hui
KUCHING, May 2: Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman is a pioneer to have obtained the green light for the Metrocity N6 Youth Night Market in his constituency to resume operations despite SDMC’s announcement that no night markets are allowed to open in Covid-19 red zones.
As such, Facebook “Sarawak Covid-19 Awareness Group” admin Dr Gabriel Walter said Fazzrudin has brought pressure onto other local leaders who have closed down night markets and bazaars under the instruction of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
He added that Fazzrudin, being the first to achieve this, would no doubt receive both compliments and criticism following a notification to the public that the Metrocity Night Market is now operational from April 30 to May 11 with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Thus, he said there should be no issue for Tupong, together with the other 81 State constituencies in Sarawak, to sacrifice for the better of the whole of Sarawak amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting the possibility of a Covid-19 outbreak or the emergence of a cluster due to the opening of the Metrocity night market especially during the coming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, Gabriel questioned whether the authorities could shoulder the responsibilities then.
“It’s almost Hari Raya, if a cluster were to break out at N6 and active case detection (ACD) had to be carried out during Raya, what then?
“Thousands of N6 residents will be forced to be quarantined at home for 14 days and dozens of frontliners will have to sacrifice their holidays to control the pandemic situation at the constituency. How would YB (Fazzrudin) or SDMC take responsibility then?
“And if the cluster were to spread to other constituencies, how would YB and the night market management take responsibility? Would YB only issue an explanation that the visitors and traders have or have not followed SOP?” he questioned in a Facebook post on April 30.
Gabriel’s post which was published in the Sarawak Covid-19 Awareness Group at 3.37pm was in response to Fazzrudin’s Facebook post on the same day at 10.57am where he emphasised that there should be a balance between people’s safety and the livelihoods of the traders.
Fazzrudin, who is also a patron of the Metrocity night market management team, said SDMC has done its role by taking neutral and strict actions where the inspection team went down to the ground to see for themselves the safety procedures before the night market was allowed to open.
Rather than closing all businesses and premises, he said, stern SOPs to be obeyed anywhere and not only at night markets and Covid-19 red zones is the basis to the solution of maintaining the wellbeing of the community.
“Problems cannot be solved only by finger-pointing at one factor or one party. Things cannot be settled only by thoughts and decisions where night markets, sports centres and so on have to be closed in red zones.
“This is not the only way to solve this issue. All aspects have to be considered by prioritising the safety of the people,” he said.
Prior to this post by Fazzrudin on April 30, certain quarters including Gabriel had voiced objections against the opening of the Metrocity N6 Youth Night Market through the Facebook group. — DayakDaily
