[UPDATED] Govt greenlights SOPs for foreign plantation workers

KUALA LUMPUR – The government has agreed with the proposed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for foreign workers entering the country, particularly to address the needs of the plantation sector as tabled by the Human Resources Ministry.

In a statement today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the SOPs will be enforced on all approved sectors and foreign workers will be allowed entry on a case-by-case basis by the Foreign Workers Committee jointly chaired by the human resources and home ministers.

“Today, the Special Committee on Covid-19 Management has approved the SOPs for foreign workers to enter this country.

“At the same time, the quota and dates for foreign workers to work in other sectors will be determined by the joint decision resulting from the meeting between the home and human resources ministers,” said Ismail Sabri.

The SOPs have been divided into four sections: pre-flight, arrival, quarantine period and post-quarantine period.

Under the pre-flight requirements, foreign workers must:

i.                 Be fully inoculated with vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation in their country of origin;

ii.                Be screened using RT-PCR 72 hours before their flight;

iii.               Have a vaccination certificate;

iv.              Comply with the conditions and policies set by the Immigration Department and other criteria from the government.

Upon arrival they must:

i.                Enter the country through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and klia2 with the exception of foreign workers from Thailand working as crews on fishing vessels who are entering the country via land such as Bukit Kayu Hitam, Wang Kelian, Betong and Rantau Panjang;

ii.               Deal with their employer’s representatives and the relevant government agencies such as the Immigration Department, Health Ministry and other enforcement agencies;

iii.              Go through a special lane for foreign workers;

iv.              Be received by a diplomatic representative from their country of origin (optional).

After arrival and during the quarantine period they must:

i.                 Undergo the quarantine period determined by the Health Ministry (mandatory seven-day quarantine);

ii.               Stay in government certified quarantine centres around the Klang Valley only with exemption given to foreign workers from Thailand working as crews for fishing vessels who will be using quarantine centres near the Thai-Malaysia border;

iii.              Undergo a RT-PCR screening on the second and fifth days of quarantine;

iv.              Isolate at a private Low Risk Covid-19 Quarantine Centre, if positive under Categories 1 and 2, and if they are under Categories 3, 4, and 5, they must be referred to a private hospital.

After they have been quarantined, foreign workers must:

i.                Be brought to their employer’s premises once quarantine period is over and they have been tested negative;

ii.                Be transported by their employers;

iii.               Go through Fomema (Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency) registration;

iv.               Follow employers’ standard operating procedures. – The Vibes, October 22, 2021