ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit
SIBU (July 23): The police will take action against the two Indonesian illegal immigrants, one of whom has been confirmed positive for Covid-19 Delta variant, and the two locals who were their close contacts once they have completed their quarantine order.
Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said that the Indonesians will be arrested under Section 6(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for entering the state illegally.
He disclosed that the immigrants were believed to have boarded a lorry to get to Sibu after they entered the state using ‘jalan tikus’ (illegal trails) from Pontianak.
“The illegal immigrants are a 22-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman.
“The woman was the one who tested positive for Covid-19 and later confirmed to be the Delta variant,” he said when contacted.
Stanley said that the woman was placed under quarantine at Sibu Hospital since July 7 while her countryman whose PCR test came out negative twice will complete his quarantine at a designated hotel here on July 28.
As for the two locals who were both men, he said that they will be investigated under Section 55E of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for allowing illegal immigrants to stay at their premises.
“They are now undergoing a 14-day quarantine at a hotel until July 29. Their first and second PCR swab tests were found to be negative.
“Action will be taken after they complete their quarantine,” he said and added the men worked as a rented van driver and a farmer.
All four suspects were arrested on July 7 and 9, he said.
Meanwhile, Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee said yesterday that the illegal immigrants entered the state on July 5.
“The immigrant with the Delta variant went to a private clinic to undergo Covid-19 screening on July 7 where she was later found to be positive.
“Her sample was sent for testing to Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) on July 12 because we feared that she may have the Delta variant,” he said during a Facebook live streaming.
He said that Unimas’ Institute of Health and Community Medicine director Prof Dr David Perera contacted him on Tuesday informing their findings on the sample from Sibu.