Datuk Francis Harden Hollis
KUCHING (Feb 8): The recent allegations by Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sri Aman chairman Leon Jimat Donald that the surge in Covid-19 cases in Sebangkoi was due to a Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) elected representative visiting several longhouses to campaign is deemed as cheap publicity, said Simanggang assemblyman Datuk Francis Harden Hollis.
Leon in a recent statement had said that this had contributed to the emergence of the Sebangkoi Cluster there.
Harden said that it had been clearly stated in the daily update statement by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) detailing how the virus had spread among the communities there.
“Leon does not know the real situation (in Sebangkoi) and is simply pointing fingers at GPS and its elected representative. Although he sounds as if he cares about the people’s woes, but this is just an empty talk with no action done.
“He is seen as non-competent as part of the Opposition as he had lost the grip during the 11th State Election; he had also issued the statement without studying the real situation. Where is he when we are working on handing supplies (to the folks there),” he said in a statement today.
Harden also slammed Leon’s accusations alleging that there were also two or more persons who are under home quarantine and wearing Covid-19 bracelets during the campaigning programme at the longhouses there.
He then requested the police to investigate his accusations on what are his motives on issuing such a statement so that people have the awareness before issuing statements with baseless accusations.
“It looks like as if he (Leon) is seeking for cheap publicity for the coming 12th State Election – but the people who are well aware of his progress will not be deceived and sacrifice their future by voting for a leader such as him. He needs to find another career aside from politics and advised to remain silent if he cannot provide assistance,” he added.
Harden then called on all parties to find a way to provide moral and material support the population affected by the lockdown in the longhouses.
“The GPS state government through the Social Welfare Department has been responsible for providing food to longhouses that are locked down during the exit/entry ban period.
“We understand the plight of the residents of the longhouse but on the effort to curb the spread of our pandemic, we have to concur with the government’s action,” he added.
Based on SDMC’s statement on Feb 5, the Sebangkoi Cluster was a community cluster that started from a family, which then spread to the community involving close contacts and social contacts of the index case in Sebangkoi area, Undop in Sri Aman.
The index case for this cluster is a 59-year-old Sarawakian woman who was screened for experiencing signs and symptoms on Jan 29 and was referred to Sri Aman Hospital from a health clinic in Batu Lintang, Sri Aman.
This case travelled to Kuching District on Jan 3 to 9 for treatment at a skin disease clinic in Kuching. As a result of further investigation and active screening of family members and close contacts to this case, a total of 20 additional cases were detected.
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