SARAWAK has drawn up new regulations for regional and express bus companies on ferrying foreigners, warning of severe penalties to those who flout rules after four Covid-19-positive Indonesian nationals managed to escape quarantine in Sibu to the town of Serian, 100km away in a bus.

They were headed for the border at Tebedu to return to return to their hometown in Entikong, just across the border with Kalimantan.

CCTV footage at the Sibu bus terminal showed they boarded the bus at around 1am.

The state disaster management committee stated the new rules come into effect today.

At the top of the list is that bus companies must make sure that any foreign worker who intends to purchase tickets to travel within Sarawak must first produce a valid passport.

Bus drivers are also banned from picking up foreigners without valid documents along the regional/express bus route.

The Disaster Management Committee said enforcement agencies such as the Immigration Department, police, and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will conduct random checks on the regional/express buses to detect illegal foreign workers.

The committee warned the bus companies of “stern action” if their buses were found to be ferrying illegal workers across the state.

“We need the full cooperation of all regional/express bus companies to take immediate action on this directive,” the committee said.

The four Indonesians fled Sibu last Thursday after the Sibu Health Department was informed by the general manager of a private medical specialist centre that the four, who had undergone swab tests for a workplace screening, were positive with the virus.

A woman, herself in quarantine for the virus, is now under police investigation after it was believed she had assisted in the Indonesians’ escape by sending them to the bus terminal.

Sarawak police commissioner Aidi Ismail said the woman claimed she didn’t know the foreigners and was only helping them to get to the terminal.

Aidi said she will be questioned further upon the completion of her quarantine. – December 19, 2020.