‘Onus on market, hawkers committees to ensure SOP being strictly observed’
SIBU: The responsibility of ensuring compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) among those entering the markets and hawker centres under the jurisdiction of Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) falls upon all their respective committees, says Councillor Albert Tiang.
According to the chairman of SMC Market and Petty Traders Standing Committee, this directive took effect on Jan 1 this year.
“We reckon that after nine months of education, it’s high time for the respective hawkers committees to take over the task of handling the SOP to curb Covid-19 infection,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
Adding on, he said it would be up to the individual hawker committee to decide whether or not to engage security personnel as part of the SOP.
In stating this, however, he strongly advised the public against ‘taking it easy’ in the event where there was no security personnel manning the entry-exit points at any of the markets or hawkers centres.
“It’s just like dining at an eatery that has no security personnel – you would proactively scan the MySejahtera (QR code) at the entrance, or the sticker placed on the table, you would manually record your details onto the visitors’ record book.
“Your temperature needs to be taken before entering the premises.
“That very same ‘proactiveness’ should observed at any time; not only when there are security personnel around,” said Tiang, pointing out that only Sibu Central Market and Sibu Night Market were still engaging the service of security personnel.
“As the security personnel are engaged by the respective hawker committees, they (committees) are paying for the service on their own.”
Adding on, Tiang called upon all visitors to hawkers centre at Jalan Tapang and Taman Selera Harmoni here to register themselves before entering the premises.
“We notice that the number of scanned registration (of visitors entering these two places) is rather low. So, please scan using the MySejahtera, or the QRcode mobile app.
“Those who do not know or unable to use the apps, there are the visitors book for you to record your details,” Tiang reminded everybody.