Bukit Assek assemblyman Irene Chang said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had “wrongly placed too much consideration for economic concerns and not enough for the health of the people”.
“This is a serious matter as there are reportedly many undocumented people out there who have not been tested and are asymptomatic spreaders of the virus.
“We are also concerned that in making the decision, no apparent differentiation has been made for areas which have been declared red zones from the other safer zones,” she said.
Chang said Muhyiddin should not be hasty especially after he had extended the MCO to May 12.
She said he could have used the period to carry out mass testing, disinfect public places, prepare different sectors on the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to follow and ensure that there is stringent control among all business sectors before allowing them to resume business.
“The reopening of businesses should be staggered and not be a ‘spur of the moment’ decision.
“It is hoped that Malaysia would not face a second wave of pandemic like in Singapore, Japan and Germany,” she said, adding that it would undo everything that had been achieved during the past six weeks.
Although the Sarawak government had yet to make any decision on the matter, Chang said, it was important for the disaster management committee to consider the state’s needs and to consult with health and economic experts.
The state government, she said, should also take into account the huge movement of students returning to their hometowns in the coming weeks.
“Prior to easing the MCO, the state government should ensure that mass testing of people in red zone areas in Kuching and Samarahan is carried out first,” she said.
It should ensure that the MCO could be lifted with minimal risk of resurgence of the pandemic.
However, to alleviate losses, the state government should allow more businesses to reopen in safer zones than those in the red zones.
Meanwhile, the youth secretary-general of the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Milton Foo, said it must not be forgotten that the MCO had not been lifted in total and remained in force until May 12.
“Businesses in the state should be allowed to operate in green zones with precautionary measures undertaken by employers.
“Businesses in yellow zones should come under monitoring and opened up slowly in stages.
“Those in the red zones should not be allowed to reopen except for some professional services with least contact with the people,” he said.
Yesterday, Komuniti Harapan Malaysia, a Sarawak-based NGO, urged the government not to further extend the MCO on May 12.
“The government’s financial aid is only for the short term. We have been under MCO for almost two months and small retail businesses, including coffee shops and restaurants, have been affected badly,” said its chairman, Phillip Wong.