Lee (seated at the head of the table) chairing the Miri Division Disaster Management Committee meeting. – Picture by UKAS
MIRI : Construction workers here will undergo random tests for Covid-19 beginning this weekend in the Miri Division Disaster Management Committee’s (MDMC) effort to prevent the spread of the virus among the workers.
MDMC chairman, Datuk Lee Kim Shin, said today a team would be formed for this purpose and it would be headed by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Miri.
In a press statement after chairing the committee’s meeting, he said that there are a total of 12,648 construction workers in Miri, comprising 1,018 foreigners and 11,630 locals.
“The committee will carry out the tests on Saturdays and Sundays randomly on five per cent of the workers, involving 650 construction workers in construction sites here, with collaboration from their employers,” he said.
He said the operation was inline with the order from the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
After the random tests are carried out here, the team will proceed to Marudi to test construction workers there.
Lee also announced the setting up of the Community Policing Committee for Miri Division involving various government agencies in collaboration with non-government organisations (NGO).
“This committee is set up to monitor and control activities in villages or residential areas as well as to create a collaboration between the local community and government agencies.
“The committee will also train the local community to be more responsible and vigilant while promoting the spirit of volunteerism among them, in line with our tagline #kitajagakita,” said Lee, who is also the Minister of Transport.
In this respect, MDMC will hold a preparatory workshop to highlight the roles of the Community Policing Committee as well as set up operation rooms to carry out patrolling activities.
Lee said the workshop would be an outreach approach for the community at the grassroot level such as community leaders, neighbourhood committees, resident committees, Village Safety and Development Committees (JKKK), youth committees and other stakeholders.
It would serve as a platform for sharing of information and coordination of patrolling activities inline with the implementation of Miri Community Policing Programmes, he said.
He added that patrolling activities would focus on high risk areas such as those known for drug trafficking and abuse, accident prone areas, places where people tend to loaf around and crime areas.
Other areas that will be patrolled are those known for illegal motorbike racing, areas with frequent alcohol drinking activities, gambling areas, and areas with risk of rabies and illegal immigrants.