KUALA LUMPUR – Manufacturers have been warned to comply with the movement control order (MCO) and other related Covid-19 measures or risk economic lockdown.
In a January 23 advisory, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai told members that it was important for “infections and clusters to be managed effectively so that the chain of infections be broken swiftly as we, the business sector, cannot take another round of total lockdown similar to the MCO in March 2020”.
FMM’s call to strictly adhere to guidelines comes as 30%, or 99, of the 318 active clusters were found in the manufacturing sector.
FMM chief executive Yeoh Oon Tean said in a statement that the group’s members had to take “additional proactive and preventive measures to tighten the existing SOPs at our workplaces and the living quarters of employees”.
The additional measures recommended include:
1. Workers hostels and housing have been identified as a breeding ground for Covid-19 infection and there is an urgent need for employers to provide greater attention to the living conditions for all workers and ensure they comply with strict SOPs, including the requirement for physical distancing in the living environment. This would also include imposing the same requirements on the living conditions of sub-contract workers.
2. Comply with the government's directive for all foreign workers to be Covid-19 screened and endeavour to get this concluded soonest possible by the deadline set by the government.
3. The capacity of the vehicles or buses to ferry workers to be kept at 50% or below to ensure physical distancing is maintained in these vehicles while transporting workers, including all other SOPs and precautionary measures.
4. Appoint senior management members of the company to oversee that the SOPs are strictly complied with while at the workplace (including rest and meal times), at the workers’ accommodation and during transportation of workers.
5. Isolate suspected or positive Covid-19 cases at a dedicated point similar to self-quarantine away from other workers and immediately notify the nearest state or district health departments.
6. Advocating a “safe work bubble” for employees by monitoring and limiting employees’ movements to the minimum and on need basis only. Daily travel should be limited to the commute from home to workplace and back.
The government had extended MCO 2.0 to February 4 while the emergency order expires on August 1.
Malaysia yesterday recorded its highest number of daily Covid-19 cases at 4,275 since the start of the pandemic, reported the Health Ministry.
The ministry also announced seven new deaths, bringing the death toll to 667.
In contrast, 4,313 cases have recovered, the highest number of recoveries since the pandemic started last year. – The Vibes, January 24, 2021
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