‘Steps taken to ensure museum project site aedes-free’

I was surprised myself that this had actually happened right in the city centre. But it not a big issue. It is under control.

KUCHING: It is unfortunate that construction work at the Sarawak Museum Campus and Heritage Trail project site here was ordered to stop for a week due to a dengue outbreak.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said he only knew about the matter after it was reported in the media on Thursday, but he assured that steps have been taken by those involved that cleaning work and clearing of mosquito breeding spots are being taken.

He believed this had occurred due to indiscriminate dumping at the project site, which led to it becoming a breeding place for mosquitoes.

“I was surprised myself that this had actually happened right in the city centre. But it not a big issue. It is under control,” he told reporters after he launched ‘ The Ranee: Margaret of Sarawak’ exhibition at the Old Courthouse here yesterday.

Construction work at the project site of the Sarawak Museum Campus & Heritage Trail project was ordered to be temporarily stopped since last Friday, after the Sarawak Health Department through Kuching Divisional Health Office issued the temporary closure order at the site effective Sept 21.

The order was issued under Section 8(3)(a) of the Destruction of Disease- Bearing Insects Act 1975 (Amendment 2000). It expired yesterday and work has resumed at the site.

Sarawak Health Director Dr Jamilah Hashim said the project site was also declared as dengue outbreak area after nine persons from the locality were infected with dengue as of Monday ( Sept 24).

The nine persons comprised six workers at the project site and three members of the public working nearby.

After the outbreak was declared on Sept 9, a check was conducted at the site and 11 aedes mosquito breeding spots were found. Following this offence, five compound notices were issued and another six offences are in the prosecution process against the project developer.

Another check conducted on Sept 20 found out there were still aedes mosquito breeding spots at the site. As a consequence, the temporary closure order at the site was issued.

Dr Jamilah explained the temporary closure order was meant to provide opportunity to the project developers to perform cleaning work and destroy the mosquito breeding spots.

At the same time, the occupants and owners of premises surrounding the outbreak area were also advised to do cleaning works and clearing up of mosquito breeding spots at their respective places.

Based on previous news reports, the RM308 million Sarawak Museum Campus and Heritage Trail project was scheduled for completion in June 2020.

The Sarawak Museum Campus is reported to be a state- of-the-art and set to be one of the finest in the region when completed.

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports