KUALA LUMPUR – The government’s apparent fixation with identifying Covid-19 infections among foreign workers is misplaced, as Malaysians are equally at risk of contracting the virus, said Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin.
Ameer, who is Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director, told The Vibes that the reason cases among foreign workers continue to rise is because they are made to undergo testing.
He said due to the higher number of screenings, more foreigners are bound to test positive as opposed to Malaysians, who are not required to be screened and may be carrying the virus unknowingly.
“I think we might be barking up the wrong tree. We keep talking about and focusing on foreigners.
“If you go to a construction site and conduct Covid-19 screenings, of course, there will be a lot of foreigners testing positive, because they make up the majority of employees there.
“But if you do a test on residents of a low-cost flat, for example, don’t be surprised if a lot of people also test positive, especially Malaysians.”
The government previously said beginning January 1, it will be mandatory for foreign workers in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, and Labuan to undergo Covid-19 swab tests.
However, Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday announced that this policy will be expanded to cover all foreign workers in all states effective immediately.
He said this is to allow the government to better monitor the health situation of foreigners, and to avoid the spread of Covid-19 in the community.
Top government officials previously blamed foreigners for the spike in cases early in the third wave of infections last September.
According to Ameer, following tests conducted on Mydin staff recently, it was found that there was a higher percentage of Covid-19 cases among Malaysians compared with foreigners.
“We discovered that many of these (local) cases were asymptomatic. But yes, there are more infections among our local staff, which I feel is a very important point to note.”
He said the public in general should start learning to live with the coronavirus, adding that it is now already in the community, similar to other infectious diseases.
He added that it is not a surprise if more infections among Malaysians are identified should mass testing be conducted in the country, as most cases today are either asymptomatic or show mild symptoms. – The Vibes, February 2, 2021
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