PUTRAJAYA – The Human Resources Ministry has reminded employers who have to ferry their workers for purpose of screening or quarantine to use suitable modes of transportation to ensure the safety and welfare of the workers and the public.
In a statement following the incident in Sg Petani, Kedah,where a lorry was stopped for transporting a group of workers infected with Covid-19, the ministry said it took cognisance and was concerned over the matter.
Subsequently, it said the Peninsular Malaysia Manpower Department and Occupational Safety and Health Department would see and study the matter in line with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 446 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514).
“The ministry urges employers to take appropriate action in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic among workers especially during these challenging times,” it said.
The ministry stressed that the ministry would not compromise with any employer who flouts the law.
It was reported that police stopped a lorry with 48 workers on board who were positive for Covid-19 and wearing pink bracelets in Sg Lalang, Bedong. Pictures of the incident went viral on social media.
Kuala Muda district police chief Adzli Abu Shah was reported as saying that the 48 men were among 135 workers at a chicken processing factory in Sg Lalang confirmed positive for Covid-19 and that the lorry was ferrying back the 48 workers to their hostel after an examination at the Kuala Muda District Health Centre.
Earlier, 87 of their colleagues had been taken back from the same health centre.
According to Adzli, the lorry driver was also issued a summons for an offence under Section 23(2) of the Road Transport Act for using a Motor Vehicle License for other purposes.
The management of the factory would be investigated under Section 22(a) of Act 342 Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 1988 and Section 269 of the Penal Code for negligence that could spread diseases that endanger lives, he added. – Bernama, June 15, 2021
