THE Malaysian Cabinet is still considering a proposal to implement work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for both civil servants and private sector employees during the ASEAN Summit, scheduled to be held later this month and in October.
Unity government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the matter was brought up during a Cabinet meeting two weeks ago, but no decision has been reached yet.
“Yes, we discussed it two weeks ago, but no decision has been made yet. I believe the ASEAN Secretariat at Wisma Putra is still reviewing it,” he told reporters after launching the Universiti Malaya Public Health Campaign in Kuala Lumpur today.
“This issue mainly concerns those working in or around the locations where the ASEAN Summit and several major meetings will take place. According to the current calendar, the summit is expected to be held at the end of May.”
Fahmi, who also serves as Communications Minister, said the Cabinet is likely to revisit the matter in its upcoming meeting, either this week or next.
“I believe at the upcoming Cabinet meeting, either this week or the next, we will have additional input,” he said. “When it comes to education, we can refer to the Education Minister, and for civil servants, we can consult the Public Service Department.”
“But at the Cabinet level, we are still reviewing the matter and there are no further announcements at this point,” he added.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had earlier, on 17 April, said a proposal for both WFH and home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) during the ASEAN Summit period would be tabled in the Cabinet.
The proposal comes in response to concerns raised by the public, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, about the inconvenience caused by road closures during high-profile state visits — notably that of Chinese President Xi Jinping in April.
In light of this, the Education Ministry announced on 21 April that it is prepared to implement PdPR during the Summits to help reduce traffic congestion.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry is in the process of identifying schools that would be affected and included in the implementation. - May 4, 2025
