KUCHING, June 4 — Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah today clarified that the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) 3.0 approval letter from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) for the agro-commodity sub-sectors to operate does not apply in Sarawak.

He said this is because in its current movement control order (MCO) standard operating procedure (SOP) from June 1 to 14, the state allows sectors such as fishery, plantation, farming, breeding and those related to the food chain to continue to operate but with strict compliance to all guidelines.

He was clarifying a statement issued by the federal government that only those in such sectors who had obtained the approval from CIMS 3.0 could operate from June 6 onward.

The statement also said smallholders were exempted if they operate within a 10-kilometre radius.

Uggah, who is the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC)  chairman,  explained that Sarawak has many smallholders in its interior areas.

As such, he said the 10-kilometre ruling is also impractical.

"With the MCO in place, interdistrict travel is now restricted.

"They too will have to travel a great distance and incur extra expenses if they are allowed to go to the nearest towns to obtain such approval from CIMS,” he said.

Uggah said he had explained Sarawak’s position during the National Security Council (NSC) meeting today and it agreed to allow the state to use its MCO SOPs for the commodity and agriculture sector to operate.