I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.
– Oscar Wilde, Irish poet
After almost a year of self-imposed travel restrictions because of the Covid-19 pandemic, I travelled to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 18 — partly for work–related matters and also to use up my leave which had accumulated to 40 days which otherwise would have to be forfeited next year.
Before I left, I had to obtain a police permit to travel out of the state and to get it I obtained a letter from my company stating reasons for my travel. (Note: Effective Dec 5 a police permit is no longer needed for inter-state travel.)
Going to Malaya was not a hassle, but returning home was! Initially, the trip was to last until Nov 30, but AirAsia sent a flight cancellation notice 12 days before my flight without offering reasons, which forced me to rebook my flight for Dec 21. I couldn’t go earlier as all flights were fully booked. Again, two days before my trip home the airline notified me of the flight cancellation. And again, no reasons were given.
What was to have been a 12-day trip was forcibly extended by another 22 days! Fortunately, thanks to technology, I was able to work remotely.
My boss, Dr Jeniri Amir, a no-nonsense man gave me a terse directive: “You work from wherever you are. You have all the IT gadgets with you. No excuse.” Yes boss!
I rescheduled my trip home to Dec 23 and thank God, this time the flight took off. However, there were several entry procedures to follow.
Travellers to Sarawak have to fill up the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Integrated ‘enterSarawak’ Form for entry approval which is for one time use only. The form has to be filled via http://sdmc.sarawak.gov.my at least three days prior to travel. We are also required to fill the e-Health Declaration Form at least 12 hours before departure.
All travellers are required to undergo the 10-day mandatory quarantine order at designated quarantine centres upon arrival and take the RT-PCR Covid-19 test and another test on the eighth day. Clearance is given on the 10th day from the quarantine order date subject to the test results taken on the eighth day. If the results are negative, we are allowed to return to our residence but are required to observe four days of home quarantine. That means isolation for two weeks.
Certain travellers are exempted from the quarantine order, though. The official Travel Advisory for Sarawak states that passengers travelling for work and who need to return to Sarawak need to obtain approval from the respective heads of departments and attach supporting documents in their applications before being allowed to return without undergoing quarantine at the designated quarantine centres.
I understand ministers, deputy ministers and MPs come under this category, but they still need to undergo RT-PCR Covid-19 tests.
All the measures and SOPs implemented by the government are for the good of Sarawak and its people and no one is complaining. I am amazed at the efficiency of our state health officials and other agencies, so kudos to them. Because of the leaders’ concern for our health and safety the effects of the coronavirus are minimal.
Let’s return to my trip home. My flight was delayed by nearly an hour. It finally took off at 12.24pm and arrived at 1.54pm. As soon as we touched down, we were ushered to a corner where hundreds of passengers were waiting for their documents and health status to be examined by medical staff. The health people were very thorough, going through the forms meticulously and enquiring about the passengers’ health status without missing out any detail.
An impatient sweet young thing behind me let out a sigh and exclaimed: “Mati-lah kita tok! Bila agi mau habis ujian RT-PCR?” I turned around and struck a conversation with her. She was a student returning home for a Christmas family get-together. Her flights too were cancelled twice. She knew she had to kiss reunion with her family goodbye.
Some of the passengers didn’t comply with the SOPs, such as filling the e-Health Declaration Form earlier as required. This slowed down the process of clearing the queues. But the health and medical officials were very patient and professional, and they helped these passengers to go through the process. I take my hat off to these frontliners.
After nearly two hours, my turn came. My papers were in order and I was directed to a team of health workers to have my RT-PCR test. Despite the initial apprehension as it was the first time I was undergoing a nose and throat swab, the health worker was reassuring.
“No worries boss, it’s just like a mosquito bite,” he said.
Thanks bro! After hearing about harrowing experiences of some of those who underwent the RT-PCR test, you can’t blame me. Yes, the test was painless, so those who might have to go through theirs, they can take my word for it. I was told another swab test was to be done on Dec 30 at the quarantine centre.
Following the test, we were directed to the immigration counter for clearance and then ushered to a bus. There were four other buses, I think, waiting to bring the passengers to their quarantine destinations. I was told my quarantine centre would be a four-star hotel in the heart of the city. Thank God, it was not a hostel as I was made to understand earlier by a friend.
A police patrol car escorted the buses to the quarantine centres — a VIP treatment of sorts. Along the way, vehicles and passers-by stopped to watch our buses pass, wondering what was happening. They might have thought we were important officials. My bus arrived at our hotel around 4pm.
Three Ministry of Health (MoH) officials were on hand to brief us on the SOPs and the dos and don’ts. These officials were very professional and took the trouble to patiently attend to our queries. The Malayan visitors were impressed with the way they carried out their tasks. “We don’t get to see patient officers like these here in the peninsula,” one of them whispered.
“Welcome to the Land of the Hornbills. This is Sarawak hospitality,” I replied.
We were all issued a Covid-19 quarantine wristband each which contains pertinent information like the date the wearer was first screened for coronavirus. My wristband was white. Apparently, there are other colours too — pink, blue, red and yellow subject to availability of stock and location. But they all contain the same information, so don’t be fussy about the colours.
These wristbands can only be legally removed by an authorised MoH officer. Anyone with the wristbands appearing in public runs afoul of the law and will be prosecuted.
The MoH officials told me my quarantine would be financed fully by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government. I don’t have to fork out anything as the government takes care of all quarantined Sarawakians. Malayans, I understand, have to pay a certain amount. I should thank GPS under the able leadership of Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg for being caring and concerned about the health and safety of Sarawakians. This is what a good government is all about.
I was made to understand that the government is spending a whopping RM100 million for the quarantine programme — accommodation, screening tests and food. The programme in a way is also helping several industries to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. Once again thanks to the Sarawak government.
I finally got to check into my room on the fifth floor around 5pm. My room faces the Sarawak River with the State Legislative Complex and Fort Margherita in full view. The view is simply awesome. The hotel staff were very efficient and friendly. I decided to go ‘undercover’ and find out how hospitable they were. I didn’t tell them I was a journalist. Told them I was a tuition teacher.
Some of the room bulbs were fused and a technician arrived within 12 minutes and rectified the situation. Dinner was rice, sweet potato curry, two pieces of sweet-sour fish, a packet drink and banana cake; a good meal.
I am now into Day 5 of my quarantine and I am enjoying every moment of it even though I am not allowed to go out of my room under any circumstance. I am not complaining.
It’s a great opportunity to catch up on my reading. Believe me, I am reading almost anything I can get hold of on the Internet. No self-censorship lah. In the afternoon right till late evening I work from the hotel.
I get up at 6am, take my bath (I bathe three times a day; but since I am prohibited from getting out of the room and I don’t even sweat, a single bath a day suffices while under quarantine) and have my breakfast at 8am. Lunch is served at 11 something and dinner at 5pm.
The hotel serves three good meals a day. On top of that my family brings me my favourite food, so no complaints.
On a scale of one to 10 — one being the lowest — I give the government’s quarantine programme a nine. As for the hotel staff, I give 8.5.
Overall, I don’t mind to be under quarantine again. It’s fun!
