Abdul Karim warned no one would want to come to Sarawak if entry restrictions continued. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (Oct 11): Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has questioned the State Disaster Management Committee’s (SDMC) need for those traveling to the state to still apply for permission via enterSarawak.
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said it should suffice for visitors to show proof they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and any other restrictions would serve as a hindrance to tourism.
While delighted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had lifted the police permit requirement for interstate travel, Abdul Karim was openly unhappy that visitors to Sarawak still needed to apply for a permit via enterSarawak.
“Why do we still need the permit to enter Sarawak? For as long as you’re fully vaccinated, and if you’re not, get a letter from your doctor why you cannot be vaccinated (to enter Sarawak).
“If you go to the UK, what they do is ask you to show your fully vaccinated proof. You don’t have to apply the permit,” he told reporters here today.
Abdul Karim lamented that the restrictions imposed by the Sarawak government would not augur well for the tourism industry, which has been badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He questioned why the state government continued to impose the entry restriction after great sums had been spent to enhance the Sarawak Cultural Village in a bid to boost tourism.
“Nobody would want to come to Sarawak if you keep on imposing (entry) conditions,” he cautioned.
Abdul Karim revealed he has been fielding calls requesting help with entry into Sarawak.
“I have received so many calls, asking me to please help this person, please help that person. Apart from a minister, I am being a secretary to so many people.
“What about the public who do not know any YB (elected representative)? This is a weakness of the system and that’s why the system needs to be looked into,” he stressed.
Yesterday, the federal government announced that interstate travel without a police permit would be allowed for fully vaccinated individuals from today.
Despite this, SDMC said individuals who need to enter the state still need to apply via enterSarawak online and show they are fully vaccinated.
They are also required to submit the negative results of their RT-PCR or RTK Antigen tests, which are valid for three days prior to travel, and other related personal details.