Police not denying longhouse folks give lockdown slip

SIBU: The police here have not ruled out that some longhouse folk have managed to make their way out through unguarded routes, even though their longhouses have been placed under lockdown.

Sibu district police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said as his men are required to monitor and look after many places, they would not be able to detect those who leave the longhouses if they escaped through farm areas or from behind their longhouse.

“Our personnel are stationed in front of the main access road leading to the longhouses where the lockdown is imposed and hence, if certain residents leave the lockdown area from behind the longhouse to farms or areas behind the longhouses, we can’t (detect).

“We don’t deny, we can’t detect those who enter into the farm area or if at the back of the longhouse, there is a plantation. From there, they can walk about two to three hours to and from the main road.

“We can’t prevent this as our personnel need to monitor and look after many places,” he told a press conference at Sibu Resident’s Office yesterday.

Stanley was asked on claims that certain longhouse folk, whose longhouses had been placed under lockdown, had made use of the jungle tracks behind their longhouse to leave the lockdown area.

The claims had raised concern among the public who fear efforts to flatten down the Covid-19 infection curve would take longer and thus prolong the Movement Control Order currently imposed in Sibu Division, involving the districts of Sibu, Kanowit and Selangau.

Stanley disclosed that a total of 48 longhouses in Sibu District had been placed under lockdown since the Pasai Cluster was declared on Jan 7, adding that the number changed daily according to the cases recorded at a location.

He added that roadblocks had also been set up in Paradom, Sungai Bidut, Teku, Pasai Siong, Penasu and Durin.

Meanwhile Sibu Resident Charles Siaw, who is also Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) chairman, told the press conference that the decision to place and lift a lockdown on a longhouse is based on the advice of the Health Ministry.