Abdul Karim (left) seen together with Rubiah (centre) and Buang cutting a Pulut Cake in a ceremony during the meeting on Saturday (March 20).
KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice- president Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has called on grassroots members of the party to keep abreast with the latest developments in local politics and also in the country.
This is in order for them to be aware of current situations that affect the community at large and also the latest development in the state government’s vigorous efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 virus in order to ensure health and safety of local folks.
He said PBB members have an important role to play because they are in the position to relay key messages to those at grassroots level, particularly village folks who are in need of getting the right information from reliable sources.
“There is no stopping people from spreading fake news through social media and even through chat groups like WhatsApp but we have to shoulder the responsibility to debunk such lies and slanders which are aimed at discrediting our leaders and the government of the day,” he added during a meeting with PBB Asajaya members at Penview Hotel here on Saturday.
The state Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture thus cautioned PBB members on the dangers of fake news which are being created by irresponsible individuals who then viral them through popular social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp that may create misunderstanding and confusions among the people.
On the latest initiatives made by the state government to curb the spread of Covid-19 among locals, Abdul Karim said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will continue to develop better measures to fight the pandemic locally in order to eventually win the battle against the unseen common enemy.
According to him, the success in fighting against the virus can be attributed to the trusted collaboration between the government and its people who must submit to the culture of moral compliance with the rules of the new normal which include complying with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“Our state government had recently written to the federal government through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Committee with regards to its intention to buy Covid-19 vaccines because the second phase of the state’s vaccination programme is expected to commence in April and it is expected to be massive with two million Sarawakians going to be involved in this exercise,” he said.
Therefore, it is important for the local folks especially those in rural areas to be given the assurance on the vaccination programme master plan by Sarawak government which had already been publicised earlier than other states in the effort to encourage its people to go for the vaccination, he added.
On the political front, Abdul Karim mentioned about the necessity for PBB members at grassroots level to continue to remain calm despite the prevailing issues which had surfaced including the use of ‘Allah’ word by people of other faiths and beliefs.
“Such situation is not an issue in Sarawak because of the religious tolerance and inter-faith harmony that exist among local communities,” he said.
According to him, there are certain quarters who are trying to create disunity and confusion in Sarawak but the local people are not being swayed by the tactics especially those used by those who are only looking for political mileage and to fish for votes in view of the impending 12th state election that is speculated by pundits to be held soon.
Also present during the meeting were Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang and PBB Asajaya deputy chairman Buang Bolhassan.
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