Be prepared to miss out o­n the Gawai celebrations - this is a warning from the Sarawak government to Dayaks working in Sars-affected countries who intend to return home.

Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu said that if medical screening at major airports in the country indicated that they had Sars symptoms, they would be immediately placed under 10 to 14 days' quarantine.

"As such, you must be prepared to face this unfortunate possibility." he told reporters after launching the Sibu Division pre-Gawai Dayak celebration in Sibu last night.

About 20,000 Dayaks are estimated to be working mainly in Singapore, which has been declared a Sars-affected country, and Johor.

Jabu said the quarantine order was a precautionary measure mandated by the Health Ministry to prevent the spread of the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).

"If you don't comply, you will be a danger to everybody...immediate families, longhouse mates, neighbours and everyone else in the state and nation," Bernama quoted him as saying.

He said the move was not meant to penalise or victimise them but was a very small sacrifice o­n the part of the people.

"If you have to miss out o­n this Gawai, there is always next year's celebration," Jabu added.