Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing
SIBU (Sept 7): The Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) must take immediate action against owners of ‘bilik sewa’ (rented rooms) who stubbornly refused to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) to prevent Covid-19 transmission, said Bintulu MP Dato Seri Tiong King Sing.
Tiong said he had highlighted the issue many times that these owners should ensure that new tenants undergo the Covid-19 swab tests before being allowed to move in to stay with the existing tenants.
Unfortunately, he said the new tenants who did not undergone the tests continue to move in, hence causing many cases to crop up due to infections brought by these new tenants.
“To the owners of these bilik sewa, we can only say we have warned them and now we would have to enforce the law to deal with the irresponsible owners, including demolishing those illegally operated ones,” he said in a statement.
Tiong said the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Bintulu had become more severe, with more cases detected in these bilik sewa over the past few weeks.
Without counting the previous numbers, he said the confirmed cases on Sunday and Monday alone involved a total of 22 shoplots.
“To date, hundreds of confirmed cases have been recorded, with many tenants being affected by incoming tenants. Bintulu is unable to tolerate the behaviour of these apathetic shoplot owners.”
Tiong said they had received countless complaints from the worried existing tenants who said the owners had not make any move into ensuring that their properties do not turn into Covid-19 breeding grounds.
“What are these owners thinking? When renting out their bilik sewa, why is it so difficult to ensure that SOP are followed but so easy to collect rent.
“We only asked that the owner ensure that new tenants take RT-PCR tests in advance and move in later. This is the basic SOP. It is to protect the landlord, their tenants and all other future tenants.
“It is not asking the landlords to give up most of their rental income. But it is in their best interests to work hand-in-hand with us in the effort to curb Covid-19. Is this too much to ask?”
Adding on, Tiong also reminded the companies with workers’ dormitories to comply with the Covid-19 prevention SOP by strictly supervising their employees to follow the SOP and protect their health.
“At the same time, they must also advise their employees not to move around necessarily during the pandemic. Falling behind on these SOP are irresponsible and reckless of both employer and bilik sewa owner.”
Tiong said many people have many tricks in exploiting loopholes to escape the housing areas that are under lockdown.
He said it was up to the authorities to implement the lockdowns but this does not change the fact that Covid-19 does not care about anyone’s feelings.
“The lockdown policy is not to trap or harass any person but it is to identify potential Covid-19 carriers and contain the spread of the virus and protect people’s health.
“Fleeing from lockdowns does not guarantee your health or protect you from infection. On the contrary, running away without knowing your status is putting your own life and those around you at risk.”
Taking the data from mass testing in Jade Garden and Taman Bandar Jaya in Bintulu following lockdown, Tiong said nine asymptomatic confirmed cases were detected after testing 30 people from 10 lots in Jade Garden.
“Additionally, more than 60 confirmed cases were detected just from Bandar Jaya. How many more would be lurking in these housing areas?
“Many people who escape the lockdowns do not think of the potential danger their actions could cause. By leaving their homes like this, how certain are they that no one else in their families are non-symptomatic carriers?”
Tiong said those who like to leak information on future lockdowns, whether they are the officers or media, should ask themselves what they are trying to achieve by their actions.
“Do they want to prolong the pandemic in Bintulu or just make it harder for frontliners to do their work? Do they think that the virus inconveniences them only, rather than killing many thousands if nothing is done?”