State commissioner Zaini Jass was inspecting the jetty area near the general market with city police chief Habibi Majinji when a boat approached at about 1.30pm.

The boat was carrying a man, his son and a relative. The man told Zaini he was rushing his 10-year-old boy, who was injured in a fall at their house on Pulau Gaya, to hospital.

Zaini told the boat to dock and ordered policemen to help the man and his son to a car to send them to hospital.

Later, a woman who had just given birth and her husband arrived at the jetty and wanted to return to Pulau Gaya, which is about a 10 minutes’ boat ride away.

Zaini ordered the same boatman to ferry the couple and their newborn home.

The jetty is allowed to operate only from 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm daily during the MCO period.

At other times, boats are only allowed near it in cases of emergency, Zaini told reporters.

Sabah had closed its inter-district public jetties from last Sunday until March 31.

The other jetties affected are those in Kudat, Sipitang, Lahad Datu, Sandakan and Tawau.

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