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Allow foreign workers to entre state

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Uggah during the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Covid-19 press conference. Photo credit: Japen

KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has decided to recommend to the state government that by March, Sarawak should allow foreign workers to enter the state.

Its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas hoped that by allowing the entry of foreign workers, the number of undocumented immigrants (PATI) sneaking into Sarawak through various jalan tikus (illegal routes) would be minimised.

“By allowing legal foreign workers, we can ensure that they are tested and healthy,” he said at the SDMC Covid-19 press conference today (Feb 19).

He explained that these PATIs were the source of numerous Covid-19 infections in Sarawak.

He said despite several operations by the authorities such as Ops Sapu and Ops Jala, PATIs still managed to enter the state throughillegal routes.

He pointed out that eight of the 13 positive Covid-19 cases reported in Sri Aman District on Friday (Feb 19) were Indonesian detainees.

“They are from Badau and they were intending to go to Miri through jalan tikus, but they were caught,” he said.

He said such incidences clearly showed that imported cases still threatened Sarawak’s health status.

“We have seen that cases from West Malaysia and Sabah passing through our airports are now getting less as we have tightened our security measures. But what is still threatening us are PATIs coming through jalan tikus,” said Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister.

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