KUALA LUMPUR – The government will study the possibility of providing living quarters for foreign workers to curb Covid-19 transmissions at construction sites, said Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
He said the ministry is in talks with other ministries and the Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) on the proposal.
"Sometimes, we find foreign workers living at newly completed buildings; we do not want to see this sort of thing happening again.
"Previously, Covid-19 cases were detected at the Pavilion Embassy construction site during the second wave and it is happening again with the Damanlela construction site cluster," he told a press conference after presenting donations to Kuala Lumpur residents' associations under the Cakna 3.0 initiative.
Present was his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr Santhara Kumar.
Annuar said the rise in cases proves that foreign workers’ quarters do not meet the correct standards and communal living is a serious health threat that provide perfect conditions for the spread of the virus.
"As such, we will see what approach can be taken, including the feasibility of providing centralised quarters for foreign workers.
"Those (contractors) who engage the services of foreign workers need to ensure that they are free of the disease and proper housing is provided for the workers."
As of November 18, of a total of 3,128 construction workers screened in the Damanlela cluster, 1,346 tested positive for Covid-19.
However, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said there was no need for an enhanced movement control order (EMCO) in the areas as the Health Ministry had screened all foreign workers involved and two related construction sites had been closed. – Bernama, November 21, 2020
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