Its chairman, Douglas Uggah Embas said “Ops Jala” aimed to tackle the issue of illegal immigrants entering the state via “jalan tikus” (illegal routes) at the border with Kalimantan.

“They (illegal immigrants) are a high-risk group, and have contributed to the surge of Covid-19 cases in many other states in the country. We need a more drastic approach to handle it,” he told reporters today.

He said details of “Ops Jala” would be announced soon.

A local and six illegal immigrants from Indonesia were nabbed by GOF personnel in Serian yesterday. They claimed they entered the state because they had received job offers in Sarawak.

“I want to remind employers that they should find a balance between profits and health. All the cases reported recently could be just the tip of the iceberg.”

The committee, he said, has also decided to expand screening activities to include factories, farms, plantations and construction sites.

Sarawak will also maintain its mandatory quarantine policy for all travellers entering the state, although many have complained of inconveniences.

“We have not decided to relax the policy as there were 83 Covid-19 cases in Sarawak (since April) among those undergoing quarantine,” he said.

Meanwhile, karaoke outlets operating at shopping malls in Sarawak will be allowed to reopen tomorrow. Nightclubs, pubs and bistros, however, will remain closed.