Masing says the restriction on foreign workers has affected projects but public health is priority.
KUCHING (Oct 13): The Sarawak government is prioritising public health in its decision to restrict the entry of much-needed foreign workers in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Jemut Masing.
“No doubt that shortage of workers is currently one of the problems we faced in the economic sectors but we stop them from coming in to control the spread of Covid-19 locally,” he told a press conference after officiating a workshop on project delivery here today.
Masing, who is the chairman of the state’s Border Security Committee, said the state had to ‘sacrifice a bit’ to curb Covid-19 virus when it sealed its borders to Indonesia.
As a result of the move, he said some projects, especially those of a mega-scale like Pan Borneo Highway project, had been inevitably delayed.
“Normally, it is the mega projects that are greatly affected by the shortage of foreign workers, such as the Pan Borneo Highway project, as they need a big pool of workers,” said Public Works department (JKR) Sarawak director Datu Ir Zuraimi Sabki, who also attended the press conference.
Touching on illegal entry points located at borders between Sarawak and Kalimantan, Masing said the enforcement agencies had been closely monitoring these routes and aggressively thwarting any attempts to cross into the state.
“The main ‘jalan tikus’ had been closed off but those who prefer to enter the state through such illegal means are a sneaky group of people. We try as much as we can to stop them from entering but there’s always a small percentage of these illegals attempt enter through alternative routes,” said Masing.