MELAKA – The Melaka Manpower Department (JTK) today launched the Covid-19 Health Screening Programme Special Task Force to detect employers who fail to provide health screenings for their foreign workers.
State Unity, Community Relations, Manpower and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Ismail Othman said the integrated programme will be implemented with the cooperation of the Melaka Social Security Organisation (Socso) and Occupational Safety and Health Department (JKKP) from today until January 28.
“Employers in Melaka whose workforces comprise over 50% foreign workers must ensure that these workers undergo Covid-19 screening, with the cost fully borne by the employers themselves.
“To date, there are 2,125 employers with 54,535 foreign workers recorded in Melaka, which is a rather large number,” he told reporters after launching the programme here today.
Also present were Melaka JTK director, Rosli Jantan, Socso director Abdul Razak Omar, and JKKP director Rabaayah Daud.
Ismail said that so far, he has not received information on the number of foreign workers who have been screened for Covid-19, and the state government is concerned about the viral infection in the industrial and manufacturing sector involving foreign workers.
He said errant employers could be fined not exceeding RM1,000 or jailed for up to six months, or both. – Bernama, January 19, 2021
