POLICE permits are still required for inter-district travel within Sarawak to avoid a “flood” of people while Covid-19 cases peak, state tourism players were told today.

Sarawak Tourism Federation president Audrey Wan Ullok said Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah had told industry chiefs this at a briefing on domestic tourism standard operating procedures (SOPs) in Kuching today.

They had reportedly asked about the need for permits when the state is in phase 3 of the national recovery plan.

Karim told those gathered that the permits would be phased out, according to Audrey, but not for the foreseeable future.

“He (Abdul Karim) said the red tape could be a hassle and a deterrent to people coming to Sarawak but he also agreed with the thinking that the easing of travel should be in a trickle and not a flood,” Audrey added.

Sarawak has decided to increase the frequency of weekly flights from 22 to 87, from tomorrow as part of steps towards recovery. This could push the price of air tickets down to a more affordable level.

In the domestic tourism SOP, visitors need to obtain a police permit for travel outside their district.

Entrants into Sarawak still need to apply for approval from the state disaster management committee.

Their travel bookings and arrangements – tickets, accommodation, attractions, tour packages – would be required as proof.

Other requirements in the travel SOP are that all tourists must be fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated children under 17 must be accompanied by vaccinated parents at all times.

It is also compulsory for all tourists to have their digital vaccination certificates or original vaccination cards issued.

All tourists from the peninsula, Sabah, Labaun or elsewhere, are also required to show proof that they have taken either the RT-PCR or RTK-Antigen test and that they have a negative result.

The test must be taken within three days before arrival in Sarawak.

Linda Tsen, the chairman of the Sarawak chapter of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta), said the SOP will not be a hassle.

“This is the new norm,” she said.

Restrictions on Sarawak’s tourism industry will be lifted when the remaining areas of the state – the eight districts in the state’s south, Kuching, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan, Asajaya, Simunjan, Serian and Tebedu – move into phase 3 of the national recovery plan tomorrow.

With the lifting of restrictions, hotels and homestays can open, including facilities in hotel premises and homestays such as surau, swimming pools, gymnasiums, lounges, halls, business events, tourism and cultural events.

However, they are subject to SOPs under phase 4 of the recovery plan.

Museums, the cultural villages, and arts and craft galleries are allowed to open and cultural stage shows are permitted.

Special interest tourism activities, like golfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, cycling, angling, yachting, and eco-tourism activities like bird watching, caving, mountain climbing, white-water rafting, hiking and jungle trekking are also now permitted. – September 29, 2021.