Sarawak tracing four attending Indonesian tabligh gathering

PETRA JAYA: Sarawak is tracking four tabligh members from the state who are believed to be attending the Ijtima of Asia 2020 gathering in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said all the authorities at the state’s entry points including the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) at its border had been instructed to conduct a thorough inspection.

He said the four men were found to have left for Indonesia on March 16, two days before the Movement Control Order (MCO) enforcement.

"We have informed the Immigration Department, police and even the military, to detect them if they return to the state through any entry point.

"If they are found, we will take them for checks and the quarantine process," he said when met at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.

Masing said the identity’s of the four men was gleaned based on the Immigration Department's records.

He said the four however did not attend the tabligh event at the Sri Petaling Mosque in Kuala Lumpur from Feb 27 to March 1.

"We believe they will return to Sarawak in the near future," he said.

The Ijtimak of Asia 2020 programme scheduled from March 19 to 22 at the Darul Ulum Boarding School, Bontomarannu, Gowa, Sulawesi, has since been cancelled.

But before the announcement of the cancellation, it was learned that over 6,000 people had gathered at the programme site.