Policemen manning the roadblock near the Kuching Old Courthouse. – File photo
KUCHING (June 8): Workers who have already obtained police permits and approval letters from their employers in the state can still use them at police roadblocks, said Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
“These permits and letters are still valid. There is no need to get new ones ,” he said in a statement today.
Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said the statement was issued following public queries as to the validity of such documents which they had obtained earlier on.
“I have spoken to the state Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail and he has agreed with our decision,” he said.
Yesterday, Uggah had said workers in the state only need to obtain approval letters from the relevant state ministries to pass through roadblocks and there was no need for them to get approval letters from Kuala Lumpur.
“All approval letters to pass through the police roadblocks in the state will be done by the relevant ministries in the state,” he said when responding to the statement by Inspector General of Police Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani that the police would only accept approval letters issued by six federal ministries and certain agencies at their roadblocks nationwide June 8.
According to Uggah, the five state ministries the Ministry of Agriculture Modernisation, Native Land and Regional Development; the Ministry of Local Government and Housing; Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development Sarawak; Ministry of Transport; and Ministry of International Trade and Industry and Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development.
He said the sectors allowed to operate are indicated in the state’s MCO SOP dated May 29 (updated on May 31) 2021.
However, Uggah said it was very much SDMC’s stance that people should stay home unless they have very compelling reasons to go out.
“People are only allowed to go out to perform their official duties, carrying out essential services or to do their work in relation to essential services.
“However, they need to obtain police permits or letters from their employers,” Uggah had said.
Meanwhile, Uggah reiterated his call for everyone to stay home unless they have very compelling reasons to go out.
He said by staying home, they would help to curb the spread of the Covid-19 within the community in Sarawak.