Sarawak monitoring over 138,000 migrant workers for Covid-19

KUCHING, April 21 — The Manpower Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Department are monitoring the welfare and health of the 138,183 foreign workers in Sarawak to ensure that they do not contract the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the state Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said today.

SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said it was important to monitor this group closely as the state government did not want another major Covid-19 cluster to emerge later.

“We have noticed that in Singapore, and that is why we are observing whether they are working in the oil palm plantations as well as in other industries,” he said in his daily media briefing on the Covid-19 situation in Sarawak.

Asked to comment on reports that the Brunei government has ordered all foreigners arriving there from April 16 to pay B$1,000 (RM3,075) each for mandatory Covid-19 testing, Uggah it should not be an issue for Sarawakians transiting through Brunei to go to Limbang and Lawas.

“We have not been informed at the moment. I think our collaboration with Brunei is very close, we exchange information,” he said. “We work out on a policy which gives the minimum inconveniences to both sides.”

“We have been neighbours for a very long time, not just neighbours but also very good neighbours.

“So, during this difficult time, we don’t give difficulties to each other,” he said.

Brunei’s Minister of Health Datuk Seri Setia Dr Mohd Isham Jaafar had told reporters that the cost of the test was in addition to the accommodation cost of self-isolation for 14 days.

Isham, however, said that treatment for foreigners with Covid-19 positive would be free.