KOTA KINABALU: Dissatisfaction is growing over Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students who are now forced to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine after staying on campus for more than 40 days.
They are unhappy as students from most other Malaysian universities only need to undergo home quarantine for two weeks.
An FMT reader, named Wong Haoen, expressed concern why these UMS students could not join their families.
He asked why UMS refused to send the students back home although they had been staying in their hostels on campus for more than 40 days, without exposure to Covid-19.
“There was no clear response from the Health Department on the additional 14-day quarantine required from UMS students,” he said.
A circular released by UMS on April 30 revealed that the university had been urged by the Sabah Covid-19 Command Centre to comply with the Health Department’s recommendations.
These rules include the 14-day quarantine. Once they are found negative to tests, the students can obtain authorisation letters to return to their hometowns.
The higher education ministry has allowed students to return home since April 27, provided that they live in a green zone area and return to their hometowns that are also in green zones.
Kota Kinabalu is in the yellow zone now with 14 active Covid-19 cases since April 28. UMS is within this zone.
A UMS spokesperson told FMT that the university is subject to the procedures set by the Health Department, National Security Council and state authorities.
“We want to ensure our students return home safely as soon as possible. However, there are procedures set by the authorities that we have to adhere to,” he said.
Sabah health director Dr Christina Rundi did not give any response to queries.
Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal said students coming back from Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak are allowed to undergo a 14-day quarantine at home instead of in a state-provided quarantine centre in Sabah.
He said parents must ensure that their children abide by the home quarantine order during this MCO period.
“However, students coming from red zones or infected areas are required to enter state-provided quarantine centres.”
The period of quarantine will depend on the health officials. - FMT
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