The passengers waiting for immigration clearance at KIA.
KUCHING (March 16): More than 60 Sarawakians who had been stranded in Solomon Islands since the Covid-19 outbreak were finally able to return home to Sarawak, thanks to the swift action taken by Transport Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin.
According to a press statement, the 68 Sarawakians touched down at Kuching International Airport (KIA) at 2.30pm yesterday after boarding a chartered Solomon Airlines flight on the same day.
The chartered direct flight was arranged with assistance from the Consulate of Malaysia in Honiara, Solomon Islands to fly them from Honiara International Airport to KIA.
The statement said that the Sarawakians who were working in Solomon Islands under different logging companies, had wanted to returned to Malaysia as they have finished their employment contract.
One of them had contacted Lee when the group encountered problems for the chartered flight to land in Kuching as well as their entry to Sarawak.
Lee immediately requested his ministry’s officers to coordinate with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia on the validation of Foreign Aircraft Operators Certificate for the chartered flight to fly directly to Kuching from Solomon Islands.
He also coordinated with the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to ensure approval was granted for the entry of the 68 passengers into Sarawak.
Upon arrival at KIA, the passengers were instructed to stay at designated quarantine hotel for 14 days and to undergo two RT-PCR swab tests as per the latest standard operating procedures that have been issued by SDMC.
The post Sarawakians stranded in Solomon Islands since Covid-19 outbreak finally return to Sarawak appeared first on Borneo Post Online.