Worries Over SARS Checks At Borders 
By Liza Mohd

Bandar Seri Begawan - The alleged absence of adequate monitoring facilities at the border checkpoint in Belait District has caused some worry among some members of the public

These concerns have arisen following the outbreak of SARS in Borneo, particularly two SARS-linked fatalities in Kuching. Hundreds more have been quarantined on suspicion of contracting the mystery flu illness.

Since Sungai Tujoh Control Post is one of the two land-based legal entrance into Brunei from Sarawak, some observers are worried over the alleged lack of adequate control measures against the disease here.

Officials manning the control post are ordered to inspect passports upon arrival and if there are arrival or departure stamps in their passports indicating that the person has travelled to Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong or China within two weeks of the inspection, then a Surveillance Form for SARS would be provided.

The form would request for identification of the person and further queries whether he or she suffers from high fever, cough, breathing difficulties, joint pain, rashes and others.

If a person answers yes to such question, the Immigration officials would then have to detain the person for a thorough investigation and hand him/her over to the health officials.

However the alleged absence of health officials at the control post has caused some anxiety here. It is a main gateway to and from Miri, Kuching and Pontianak (Indonesia). 

Meanwhile there has been a significant drop in the number of people going in and out of Brunei to Sarawak, despite the Grand Sales in Miri, which started on May 1.

It was reported that usually over the weekend over 1,000 cars would go in and out of the country. But the numbers have decreased over mounting fears of SARS, an official based at the control post stated. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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