PUTRAJAYA, Nov 25 — The Human Resources Ministry will formulate a screening schedule for foreign workers in Malaysia, as part of the efforts to curb the high number of Covid-19 cases in construction sites and foreign workers' dormitories.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said over one million workers will be the focus of this screening, primarily in states with many ports or harbours, including Penang and Negri Sembilan.
“They will be the ones we look at first, with the testing done on all foreign workers using the antigen rapid-test kit,” he said during his press conference.
Ismail added the Social Security Organisation will subsidise the cost of the tests for foreign workers at a rate of RM60 per person.
“The Human Resources Ministry will prepare a detailed schedule, which is expected to take around four to six weeks. The National Security Council will need to look at it.
“We want to avoid the situation like before where there were instances of people having to queue in lines nearly 5km long, which was noted on social media,” he said.
On Sunday the Malaysian Medical Association suggested the Health Ministry refine its standard operating procedure prior to conducting mandatory Covid-19 screening on foreign workers.
Its president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said more streamlined planning and coordination should be done so the effort goes smoothly.
Yesterday Top Glove Corp Bhd, one of the world's largest manufacturer of latex gloves, said they will shut over half of its factories in the country, after nearly 2,500 of its foreign employees tested positive for Covid-19.
