THE health screening system for foreign workers in Malaysia is undergoing significant upgrades, including the implementation of biometric verification, in a bid to curb fraudulent practices and safeguard public health, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced today.
He said the Ministry of Health (MOH) is enhancing oversight of medical screenings under the Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema), including by deploying medical specialists to review results and introducing thumbprint-based identification systems.
“I am confident that if someone can deceive at the beginning, they will not be able to deceive forever, because we have a very stringent screening process,” said Dzulkefly, speaking at a press conference after the Healthy Malaysia Month Celebration.
He added that suspicious X-ray results are reviewed by medical experts, ensuring that any attempt to falsify health data would eventually be uncovered.
His remarks followed concerns raised in local media about alleged syndicates using healthy individuals to undergo medical tests on behalf of unwell foreign workers. Fomema CEO Dr Mohd Afiq Farhan Md Hanif confirmed the detection of such tactics, which he said pose a risk to the wider community by potentially enabling the spread of infectious diseases.
“We are also moving towards a biometric approach, namely the thumbprint. All of this is part of continuous improvement,” Dzulkefly added, expressing confidence that any gaps in the system would be addressed promptly.
New Covid-19 Variant Accounts For 9.1% of Reported Cases
Separately, the Health Minister also provided an update on Covid-19, stating that a new Omicron sub-variant known as XFG currently accounts for 9.1 per cent of reported cases in Malaysia. However, he assured the public that the variant does not appear to be more dangerous than previous strains.
“We have emphasised that it only makes up 9.1 per cent of cases. The rest remain under monitoring. We have had no deaths, except for one earlier in the year. Apart from that, there has been no major cause for concern,” he said.
Dzulkefly explained that while XFG may spread more easily, it has not demonstrated increased severity, particularly in terms of respiratory complications.
He added that JN.1 remains the dominant variant in Malaysia, comprising 17.4 per cent of cases, followed by XEC at 12.7 per cent — both considered sub-lineages of Omicron.
“These figures come from our ongoing genomic surveillance. We conduct genetic sequencing of emerging variants so that we can take proactive measures should an outbreak occur. At this stage, however, there has been no outbreak — only isolated cases,” he said.
He urged the public to continue observing basic health measures and to seek treatment if symptomatic, adding that MOH remains vigilant but seeks to avoid unnecessary public alarm.
As of the 35th epidemiological week of 2025, Malaysia recorded 43,087 Covid-19 cases, down from 85,297 over the same period last year. - September 20, 2025
