KUCHING, May 16 — The Iban community has been urged to heed the government’s advice for a safe Gawai celebration this year in view that the battle against Covid-19 is not over yet.
Kuching Iban community Paramount Chief Temenggong Datuk Bernard Aggan said all Iban community leaders should explain the rules to those under their areas of jurisdiction.
“We need to be extremely careful when celebrating this Gawai for fear there will be an outbreak of the Covid-19 illness among us.
“The dreaded illness is still around us. We are in the midst of fighting a battle, so we must follow all the advice and strategies in order to win,” he said in a statement here today.
Anggan said he fully supported the advice given by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas on how they should celebrate Gawai during this very difficult time.
“Datuk Amar (Douglas Uggah) said yesterday that there should be no ‘ngabang’ or open house. But we can allow only close family members to come.
“On this visit by close relatives, I agree that we should limit the number to 20 and only on the first day, but since our typical city houses may not be able to comfortably accommodate 20 people coming at the same time, I suggest they come in two groups of 10 people each,” he said.
He reminded leaders to inform their people not to organise any gatherings or functions that would attract huge crowds.
“An infected person who is asymptomatic can easily spread the Covid-19 illness in such a situation. I would like to remind everyone to maintain the highest personal hygiene,” he added.
Gawai, which falls on June 1, is still full of joy and happiness when celebrated among family members, he said. — Bernama
