Sempurai Petrus Ngelai – File photo
SIBU (May 24): Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) has engaged with the stakeholders to stamp out the issue of obstruction along the five-footway of shophouses under its area of jurisdiction, said its chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai.
“The council is monitoring the issue of obstruction along the five-footway in shophouses in Sibujaya and Selangau together with Selangau Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Sibujaya business premises stakeholders to ensure the compliance with the Local Authority (Cleanliness) By-Law Section 26(1) on the Usage of five-footway.
“The council will continue to engage all the stakeholders to make sure everyone will follow the By-Law,” he said today.
Meanwhile, Sempurai reiterated his call on everyone, including those staying in the longhouses within SRDC area of jurisdiction, to strictly abide by the standard operating procedures (SOP) especially during the upcoming Gawai Dayak celebration.
“I would like once again to urge everyone of us to adhere with the SOP to break the chain of Covid-19 infection during the current critical time.
“All of us must play our role by following the SOP and protocol to flatten the curve of infection,” he said.
He pointed out that there is a need for people to be disciplined by following the SOP to safeguard themselves and those around them from Covid-19 infection.
“With the SOP issued by State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and Unit for Other Religions (Unifor), complying with the SOP will safeguard us from the Covid-19 infection especially during the coming Gawai Dayak Festival.
“Besides that, personal hygiene, wearing of face masks and social distancing are also important to prevent the infection especially at the common area like ‘Ruai’.
“With the new normal, certain practice of sharing the glass or ‘Nyadong Ai Pengayu’ during ‘Ngirup Ai Pengayu’ or Gawai Toast at the midnight of May 31 must be avoided,” he said.
As for the other communities, he appealed to them to stay at home if they have no urgent matters to attend to.
He pointed out that by doing so, it will help to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“We should celebrate all festivals with extreme caution as Covid-19 is already within the community and surrounding us,” Sempurai said.
SDMC had said the celebration of Gawai Dayak this year would only be allowed on June 1 and is to be confined to family members of the same household for individual houses or ‘bilik’ in the longhouses.
The committee noted that this applies to both Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) areas.
From the 112 Covid-19 cases recorded here on Sunday, 51 came from SRDC’s area, while Sibu Municipal Council’s (SMC) had 61 cases.