KUALA LUMPUR – Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob says that after February 4, sterner action awaits violators of set standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the movement control order (MCO).
He said this is to combat the rising number of daily Covid-19 cases, especially involving workers in construction areas and factories.
“Both sectors (construction and factories) are among the top contributors of Covid-19 cases in the country.
“As we all know, we no longer have morning market and roadside stall clusters because we have set SOPs, apart from taking action based on the facts we have,” he said after inspecting a roadblock at Gombak toll plaza here today.
Ismail Sabri said that all employers in both sectors throughout the country have been instructed to conduct Covid-19 screening tests on their foreign workers beginning today.
He said that previously only foreign workers in the two sectors in six states were required to undergo screening tests.
“This is to monitor the status of foreign workers who may be spreading Covid-19 among communities,” he said.
“Foreign workers’ housing is not conducive as most of them stay in crowded dwellings.
“The emergency ordinance will be amended to ensure that employers provide better housing to their foreign workers, and the ordinance can ensure their compliance,” he said, adding that workers’ accommodation was one of the factors behind the rise in Covid-19 cases.
He said that many of the factories have been ordered shut for violating the SOPs and for having workers who are Covid-19 positive. – Bernama, February 1, 2021
