KUCHING: Sarawak police have received a total of 27 reports against anti-rabies operation officers said to have violated the standard operating procedure (SOP) and entered private premises without permission.
The reports were also lodged to show dissatisfaction over how the operation had been carried out.
Sarawak Deputy Commissioner of Police Dato Pahlawan Dzuraidi Ibrahim, however, refuted all the allegations stated in the reports, saying that the officers involved in the operation had been well-trained and they were given detailed explanation about their tasks in accordance with the existing rules, laws and SOPs.
“The accusations (in the police reports) about officers entering premises without permission as well as shooting dogs at will are not true,” he said in a statement received here yesterday, stressing that officers involved in the anti-rabies operations had been told to seek permission from the house owners before being allowed to enter the house compounds.
Dzuraidi also clarified that the dogs, which were tranquilised during the operations, were actually strays roaming freely in the streets, and not those inside a private compound.
He added that the operations to eradicate rabies in Sarawak ran from March 1 to 10 in Lundu and Bau (under Phase 1), and April 4 to 13 in Padawan and Kota Samarahan (Phase 2).
On another note, Dzuraidi said the rabies outbreak had been declared as a ‘Level Two Disaster’ by the Sarawak government following the spread of the virus to 61 areas across Sarawak.
It has resulted in 16 fatalities, and one victim still undergoing treatment.
The National Disaster Management Policy and Mechanism (MKN20) was activated by the State Disaster Management Committee to mobilise resources under its control to help curb the rabies outbreak.
A workshop was being conducted at Damai Beach Resort in Santubong from Jan 16 to 18, which was attended by representatives of all departments and agencies involved in the operations.
In this regard, Dzuraidi said: “It was decided at the workshop that the main objective of the rabies operation would be to find, capture and put stray dogs to sleep, and control the movements of dogs in an area where the rabies operations are being carried out.”
Besides the SOP, the anti-rabies operation officers in Sarawak were also required to adhere to the Laws of Sarawak Chapter 32 – Veterinary Public Health Ordinance 1999 as a guide.
Dzuraidi also said various awareness programmes had been conducted by the vaccination teams together with the Sarawak Information Department, touching on the dangers of the rabies outbreak, which mostly involved dog bites.
“I would like to advise the public to contact the police or the relevant agencies such as the army, Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Health or the local enforcement agencies to obtain a clearer explanation about the operation,” he added.
The public should refrain from believing everything that they read on social media, which might contain unverified information.
“To ensure the smooth running of this operation, the police need full cooperation from the community to ensure that their objectives are met. The police are also ready to provide talks or forums to the public if there is a need,” said Dzuraidi.