KUCHING: Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting Chiew Yew has urged the people not to forget the frontliners this Chinese New Year as they have been working so hard and sacrificed so much to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ting, who is also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general, said doctors, nurses, police constables, firefighters, soldiers, medical and health workers, and volunteers are heroes.
He noted that many Sarawakians residing outside the state had decided not to return for their family reunions due to travel restrictions and the fear of infecting their loved ones.
“It is a tough decision, but I am sure their loved ones understand that it is for the good of everyone,” he said in his Chinese New Year message.
He expressed appreciation for the state government for continuing to provide financial assistance under the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) packages to help mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To date, five BKSS packages worth approximately RM3 billion had been provided by the state government.
“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the state government remained focused on taking care of the public including development, education, employment, security, and housing,” he said.
Ting said the state had also launched its own television station TVS, collected substantial revenues from State Sales Tax (SST) on petroleum products from Petronas; gotten Japanese companies to invest in hydrogen production in Sarawak, and established residential international schools.
“This year the state government is set to launch more initiatives and projects to benefit people across the state,” he said, emphasising that it was important for the people to be united to win against the pandemic.
He expressed high hopes that the situation would improve with the arrival of the free vaccines in the later part of the year.
In the meantime, he urged the people to continue to stay safe and comply with all standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“I would like to wish all Sarawakians a happy, peaceful, successful, and prosperous Chinese New Year. Wishing everyone a good health, lots of happiness, and an auspicious Year of the Ox,” he said.
