Ministry comes up with SOP for those entering state

Abdul Karim (centre), Ting (third left), Hii (third right) and Sharzede (second right) at the press conference. – Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Sept 30): The Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture has come up with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for those wanting to enter Sarawak and for inter-district travel, from Oct 1.

Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who announced the SOP at a press conference here yesterday, said his ministry had prepared and executed strategic actions and plans to re-activate Sarawak’s tourism and business event industry and to build a more resilient tourism industry post Covid-19.

“Tourism is one of industries that is very much affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that Sarawak is in Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), more activities including tourism activities will be allowed to operate starting Oct 1, subject to compliance of the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he said.

He said from Oct 1, accommodation in hotels and homestays including facilities in hotels and homestays such as surau, swimming pools, gymnasiums, lounges, halls, business events, tourism and cultural events, are allowed to open.

Activities at tourism sites which promote arts and culture, and heritage premises (museums, cultural villages, arts or craft galleries and cultural stage shows) are allowed to open.

“Sarawak can also do special interest tourism activities such as golfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, cycling, angling, yachting, and eco-tourism activities such as bird-watching, caving, mountain-climbing, white-water rafting, hiking, jungle-trekking and many more,” he added.

All the permitted activities are however subject to the relevant SOPs set by the authorities such as the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).

Abdul Karim also said that businesses such as spa, reflexology, massage centres and pedicure/manicure services can now operate too, provided they comply with SOPs issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing and SDMC.

As for business events, they are now allowed in Sarawak but restricted to meetings, corporate incentives, and conventions. All business events are subject to a maximum 50 per cent normal capacity of the event space and a maximum 100 persons only while hybrid events are encouraged.

“My ministry will work closely with the SDMC and the tourism and business events industry players to monitor the tourism activities throughout Sarawak from time to time to ensure SOPs are strictly followed and complied with,” he said.

All other requirements relating to health status and preventive measures are similar to SOPs for domestic tourism and detailed SOPs on planning and organising business events are available at the ministry’s website.

The full list of SOPs for Sarawak Domestic Tourism and Business Events can also be downloaded from the ministry’s website at mtac.sarawak.gov.my and SDMC website at https://sarawakdisastermc.com/standard-operating-procedure/#1629431829465-7cf3ed86-1908.

Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Sebastian Ting, the ministry’s permanent secretary Hii Chang Kee, and Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Sharzede Salleh Askor were also present at the press conference.

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