KUCHING, June 4: The need to have the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) 3.0 approval letter from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) for the agro-commodity sub sectors to operate does not apply in the State.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said this is because in its current Movement Control Order (MCO) standard operating procedure (SOP) from June 1 to 14, the State allows sectors such as fishery, plantation, farming, breeding and those related to the food chain to continue to operate but with strict compliance to all guidelines laid.
He said this in response to a statement issued by the federal government which said only those in such sectors who had obtained the approval could operate from June 6 onwards.
The statement also said smallholders were exempted if they operate within a 10-kilometer radius.
To this, Uggah explained that Sarawak has many smallholders in its interior areas.
As such, he said the 10 kilometers ruling was also impractical.
“With the MCO in place, inter-district travel is now restricted.
“They too will have to travel great distance and incur extra expenses if they are allowed to go to the nearest towns to obtain such permit,” he added. — DayakDaily
