KUCHING: The state government has been urged to make a firm and daring decision by enforcing a total lockdown in Sarawak in view of the current dire Covid-19 situation in the state.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kuching branch chairperson Datuk Lily Yong said this appeal is a result of the party’s consultation with the people on the ground from all walks of life, including shop owners and hawkers.
Based on the feedback received, she said many of them felt very insecure due to the current Covid-19 situation and the increasing number of cases.
“Some say ‘no’ to the lockdown, but we have to think of the majority. We have to do it. We cannot do this ‘alang-alang’ (half-heartedly) – it will not do the job,” she said in a press conference held via Zoom yesterday.
She said a total lockdown should be imposed until the situation improves, after which the state government could impose targeted lockdowns instead.
On top of this, she said the state government should provide practical financial assistance to all those in the private sector.
“We have a lot of reserve funds. Sarawak has been very independent and our leaders are capable of taking care of the people of Sarawak,” she said.
However, Yong said civil servants should be excluded from such financial aid this time, explaining that they had a stable income while many in the private sector did not.
“Those from the private sector have to feed their workers and pay for everything including electricity and rent. Thus, the state government must prioritise taking care of all of those in the private sector,” she said.
Meanwhile, SUPP Kuching branch youth assistant publicity chief Eric Tay echoed Yong’s call for a total lockdown to be imposed.
“As someone in the business industry, I would prefer short-term pain rather than long-term suffering,” he said, adding that a short lockdown may be difficult temporarily but there would be better things to look forward to after the period.
He also urged the state government to tap into Sarawak’s reserve funds in order to assist the business community.
“As for the federal government, perhaps they can give out interest-free loans like last year. Another way is to give the business community tax exemptions. We cannot operate our businesses and yet we still have to pay rent, salaries, utilities, loans, and so on. It is really hard for us,” he said.
He noted that Sarawak alone had around 40,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating and providing some 600,000 jobs.
