KUALA LUMPUR – The government should introduce an amnesty programme to ensure that no undocumented workers are left out of the mandatory COVID-19 screening, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.
MMA president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy urged the Home Ministry and Human Resources Ministry to act quickly as the country has a large number of undocumented workers.
“MMA is concerned that without an amnesty programme, thousands of undocumented workers based in the federal capital may not present themselves for the screenings fearing they may be detained.
“The fear of punitive action being taken against them or their employers may even lead to workers running away or employers hiding undocumented workers from the authorities,’’ he said in a statement here today.
He said according to media reports, Malaysia has around two million documented and three million undocumented workers.
Subramaniam said undocumented workers were employed in large numbers in the construction sector and were active in major cities, with the majority based in Kuala Lumpur.
“It must be noted that it is the government’s policy to test all migrant workers for Covid-19; therefore, every effort must be made to ensure that undocumented workers are not left out.
“Failure to test Malaysia’s high population of undocumented workers may put the country at risk of increased cases of Covid-19 among foreign workers and the spread of undetected infections in the community,‘’ he said. – Bernama, December 7, 2020.
