Press Statement By Chong Chieng Jen：
What other information concerning the Covid-19 pandemic are Dr Sim Kui Hian and the SDMC still withholding from the public? This is the one-million-dollar question arising from the recent statement of Dr Sim about SDMC having concealed certain information of eatery outlet clusters in the past.
On 8-7-2021, the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) of Unimas announced that a 56-year-old man from Kuching was detected with the Delta variant on 18th June.
Thereafter, on 12-7-2021 the SDMC announced that dine-in will be allowed on 14-7-2021 but only to revoke such order on the night of 13-7-2021, disallowing dine-in. The reason for such U-turn was that 16 cases of Delta variant were detected on 13-7-2021.
In an attempt to justify the U-turn and the “no dine-in” decision, Dr Sim told the press that there were all along eatery outlet clusters, but that the authority did not disclose the name of such outlets. He spoke as if he is not part of the authority, even though he is the adviser to SDMC and the State Minister in charge of healthcare in the State.
Notwithstanding the so-called “justification” by Dr Sim, in less than 48 hours the issuance of the “no dine-in” order, the SDMC made another U-turn announcement that starting 16-7-2021, dine-in will be allowed. Such announcement by SDMC is clearly a slap on the face of Dr Sim who less than 2 days before still tried to justify the “no dine-in” order of SDMC.
The question that the public are now asking are:
1.If it were true that there were previously coffeeshop or eatery outlet clusters, why is the SDMC not disclosing such information to the public?
2.Dr Sim seems to be putting all the fault of the Covid-19 outbreak on the federal Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), but is it not true that SDMC is the highest autonomous agency in Sarawak for the management and control of the Covid-19 pandemic? Without the endorsement of SDMC, how could KKM implement its order or policy in Sarawak?
3.Why keep blaming the Federal Government for the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sarawak while the GPS is also part of the Federal Government?
4.How does the Government expect the people and business sector to comply with the flickering and confusing SOPs when even the enforcement units themselves are confused?
The Fifth and the ultimate question that everyone is now asking is: Since Dr Sim has now openly admitted that the SDMC has been concealing information of certain clusters from the public in the past, what other information has the SDMC been concealing from the public hitherto? How then can the public have confidence and trust on SDMC and the authority in all the announcements in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic including the daily figures?
In the premises, my advice to Dr Sim, being a Minister, please be careful and think before you make any public statement. Do not add fear and confusion to the already very difficult situation of the pandemic.
16-7-2021
Chong Chieng Jen
DAP Sarawak Chairman
