(From left) Carol, Freddy and Douglas monitor passengers’ movement at Kapit Wharf Terminal.
KAPIT (May 30): Sarawak Rivers Board staff are busy monitoring and regulating the river traffic here with their patrol boat seen cruising along the waterfront keeping an eye on both public transport and individual boats plying the river to ensure strict compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
Officer in-charge of SRB here Carol Bungan Leo, together with police chief DSP Freddy Bain and Bukit Mabong District Officer Douglas Pungga were also seen at Kapit Express Terminal, Belaga Wharf and the waterfront to ensure full compliance.
Together, they checked express boats and passengers arriving from Sibu at 10.30am. They also checked the passengers’ travel permit.
Only seven passengers travelled to Sibu by express boat on the return trip at 10.30am yesterday.
On the other hand, only 30 passengers on an express boat trip from Putai arrived here (Kapit) at 9.30am yesterday. They were locals returning home from their respective work sites.
Freddy said that acting on tip-off they picked up five illegal foreign workers aged between 22 and 41 Friday morning. They were being detained to facilitate investigation before they would be handed over to the Immigration Dept for their action.
Douglas, meanwhile, said the crowd at the wharf here, which was viral on social media at 9.50am last Friday did happen.
“Two express boats arrived at Kapit Terminal at the same time. Passengers rushed to collect their luggage placed on top of the boats. Actually, it was a permitted trip. The operators had the permit to ply the Kapit-Putai route. Both boats followed the 50 per cent passenger load capacity,” he said.
Carol, meanwhile, advised express boat operators to ensure their passenger queue properly when leaving and arriving at the wharf in keeping with the 1-metre social distancing.