File photo of a cockerel seized from a cockfighting site.
BINTULU (May 20): No cockfighting licence will be issued for the coming Gawai celebration as an additional measure to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Sarawak, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
“I would like to apologise because I have ordered the State Secretary and Residents not to issue cockfighting licences because we have to be extra vigilant,” he told reporters here yesterday.
The chief minister said since Gawai Dayak is a seasonal celebration, there would be many more Gawai to follow.
“If you are infected, there might be only one Gawai for you, so we must look after ourselves,” he said.
Abang Johari also called on community leaders, village and longhouse chiefs to implement all the necessary standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the Gawai celebration.
Strict SOP compliance would be crucial to protect the people from being infected by Covid-19, he said.
“There is also a need to have self-discipline, and hopefully we can celebrate Gawai next year when there is no more Covid-19. For now, we have to sacrifice for the future,” he added.
Abang Johari cited the SOP for Hari Raya Aidilfitri as a fine example of an under-control situation, with the one-day celebration for immediate family members proving successful in stopping the transmission of the virus in the community.