GEORGE TOWN – The federal government should bear the cost of foreign workers’ Covid-19 screening as prices of rapid test kits (RTKs) are increasing due to high demand, says Housing, Town, Country Planning and Local Government Committee executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo.
He said the RM5 billion allocated for Covid-19 management in the budget can be used for this.
“If we have 900,000 foreign workers and the cost for each person’s screening is RM100, that is only RM90 million, keeping in mind that our budget is in the billions.”
He said that if this is not looked into, the economy will suffer as it will determine whether a business continues to operate or not.
Speaking to the press today, Jagdeep said that imposing screening on foreign workers is a good idea, but the federal government also has to look into the cost.
“In Penang, we have 140,000 foreign workers and only about 50 panel clinics that can conduct Covid-19 screenings. How are we going to do all the screenings in time when we can’t cope with the numbers? And who is going to pay for these tests?
“The federal government has to pay the full cost, especially in Penang, since we are one of the biggest tax contributors in Malaysia. We don’t mind looking into conducting the screenings but please, help us in terms of the cost.”
He said some clinics have increased the price of RTKs from RM60 to RM100, or more.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the National Security Council will enforce compulsory Covid-19 screening for foreign workers under Act 342 (the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act) from January 1.
Action will be taken against employers whose foreign workers are not sent for testing.
He said that mandatory testing only focuses on the six high-risk states, namely Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, while employers in other states will have until the end of February for their foreign workers to be tested for Covid-19. – The Vibes, December 30, 2020
