Statement by Chong Chieng Jen:
DAP Sarawak supports the Movement Control Order (MCO) and calls upon the Sarawak Government NOT to compromise the effectiveness of MCO with the exemption given to factories in Samajaya Free Industrial Zone. This is especially so given that Kuching is now the Red Zone of covid-19 outbreak.
The State Government should stop the factories in Samajaya Free Industrial Zone from further continuing their production and business activities. These factories are not in the essential lists of services but have been enjoying exemption from the Sarawak State Government since the MCO first took effect from 18-3-2020.
Since 18-3-2020, all non-essential business activities stopped. But the factories in Samajaya continued to operate daily till this day, with daily hundreds and even thousands of workers travelling in and out of the Samajaya Free Industrial Zones. After work, these workers would be in contact with their family members.
The factories operating in Samajaya are mostly multinational companies (MNCs). They have the financial ability to temporarily stop production and continue paying their workers salaries. They are definitely not in the essential service sectors as most are involved in electronics sector.
As compared to our local micro, small and medium entrepreneurs who do not have the financial muscle, these MNCs are in a better financial position to stop operation and continue paying their workers.
Therefore, it makes no sense that while most of our local entrepreneurs and businesses are subject to MCO trying to flatten the covid-19 infection curve and suffering in the process, these MNCs are given the privilege of continuing to operate and risking their workers and other Kuchingites with possible infection of covid-19.
The Sarawak GPS Government is actually giving priority to the financial interest of these MNCs over the health issue of the people of Sarawak.
Therefore, I call on the State Government to immediately stop the factory operations in the Samajaya Free Industrial Zone.
