Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

Kota Kinabalu: The State Government is sticking to its decision to continue with the Movement Control Order (MCO) Phase 4 until May 12, instead of moving into the Conditional MCO (CMCO) phase announced by the Prime Minister on May 1, for the sake of protecting the people in Sabah.Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (pic) said any further decision (to follow the CMCO or otherwise) would be made on May 12, the end of the MCO Phase 4 period.

The Federal Government had earlier asked all states to implement the CMCO, the Phase 5, which applies nationwide effective from May 4.

“We will continue with the implementation of the MCO Phase 4 until May 12, as had been announced by the Prime Minister. The State Government is doing this for protecting the lives of the people of Sabah from the Covid-19 pandemic. “This is while at the same time doing all our best to ease the impacts of Covid-19 and the MCO restrictions to the State’s economic sectors. “After all, what we are doing here is actually not that too strict, as we had already eased the restrictions for certain economic sectors like oil palm, petroleum, agriculture and food, among others. “It is not about us do not want to comply with any law, as we have been complying in terms of the measures to be taken to curb the spread of Covid-19. “Now is not the time to talk about who is more superior or fight about the laws,” he said, after receiving contributions of medical equipment from four different organisations at Hospital Mesra in Bukit Padang, Tuesday. He was asked to comment on the Federal Government’s call to all states to follow the implementation of the CMCO. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali had also warned the nine states not complying with the CMCO that they risk businesses in these States suing them over losses for remaining closed. Mohd Shafie, who is also State Finance Minister, hoped the Federal Government would consult the State Government on any measures it intends to take, and not let the State Government only know about it through Astro Awani, TV3 and so on.

“You (Federal Government) must do some consultation with the state governments, because we are the ones to implement the decisions made by you. We can do it via a teleconference if we cannot go there (to Putrajaya)...even Donald Trump (United States President) contacted the governors of every state in the US. “At least the state governments can provide valuable input and feedback to the Federal Government.

“We don’t know whether they (in the Federal Government) truly know and understand the situation or environment at the state-level, whether any of the decisions they made can be implemented at the state-level or not...the states may also need some time to make apt preparation to implement whatever is decided at the Federal level,” he said. Asked about Azmin’s advice, Mohd Shafie said: “Well this is not the time for us to fight about laws or talk about who have the power and who don’t have it, because this is the time for us to save lives while at the same time we want to revive the country’s economy.

“I don’t want to respond too much, what is important to us is human lives, to save human lives.” On Azmin’s contention that the state governments were already informed about the CMCO in a meeting held before, Mohd Shafie asked “when did he (Azmin) have a meeting with me?’ “I know the senior ministers had a daily meeting in Kuala Lumpur, but it does not involve us. They should at least, even if we were not able to attend, tell us whatever decision to be made...at least disseminate the information to us and get input from every state government,” he said.

He said the State Government is also doing its best to help the economic sectors in Sabah, providing them assistance through various initiatives as had been mentioned in the stimulus package announced before, including the RM90 milion prepared for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the Sabah Credit Corporation and so on.

Mohd Shafie said he would soon set up a Digital Economy Unit under the Chief Minister’s Department (CMD) with the collaboration of telecommunication providers like Maxis, Celcom and so on as part of efforts to boost the online business sector in Sabah.

He also thanked Tuesday’s contributors, namely the Osimal Foundation which donated 5,000 face shields, 4,000 N95 face masks and 300 protective clothing, MCIS Life Insurance Berhad (3,000 hazmat suits/high level isolation gowns), Caring Pharmacy (20,000 face masks and 500 protective clothing) and Kenson Medical Clinic (2000 surgical masks, 1500 face shields and 200 KN95 face masks). Their generous contributions helped the State Government to provide protection for all frontliners and also the people from Covid-19 infection, he said, while asking the people in Sabah not be too complacent that infection in Sabah is currently at a controllable level. “We see an encouraging trend in Sabah, where we can say that Covid-19 infection is under control. But we cannot be too complacent and must continue to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” he said, adding it also proven that the State Government is on the right track on its measures to curb the pandemic. Mohd Shafie also disclosed that the State Government is also in process of arranging for the return of a small number of Sabahans who have requested to come home from the Philippines and Kalimantan, Indonesia.   He said they would be subjected to the existing standard operating procedures which include a mandatory 14-day quarantine at the designated quarantine centres. State Health Department Director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi, Osimal Foundation Chairman Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, Vice Chairman Datuk Nellie Sikodol, MCIS Life Insurance Berhad Sabah’s Business Development Manager Annie Thien Saik Ling, Caring Pharmacy’s Sabah Branch Manager Cassandra Chee and Dr Loriot Kenson of Kenson Medical Clinic were among present.