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PETALING JAYA: A glove manufacturer in Kajang received a seven-day closure notice from the Health Ministry for failing to comply with Covid-19 preventive measures.
A multi-agency raid today found 781 workers living behind the factory in two blocks of shipping containers that were stacked three stories high, a violation of the Minimum Standards of Housing and Services for Workers Act (Law 446).
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan, who was among those who joined the raid, confirmed that 759 of the 781 workers were foreigners.
The closure notice sighted by FMT indicated that the factory was ordered to close from December 24 to December 30 because “it was in a condition that could lead to the initiation or spread of infectious diseases to the public” under the Prevention and Control of Infections Law of diseases.
Describing the accommodations as “very dirty”, a source from the Labor Department also said that the workers lived in “cramped and cramped” conditions.
“They just live in containers. That is a problem, ”he told FMT.
“If the space is destined to 100 people, they (the company) reduced to 400”.
The joint operation also found that the factory violated Section 70 of the Streets, Drainage and Construction Law by erecting a building (the containers) without written permission from the local council (Kajang City Council).
The Labor Department source said glove manufacturers had not applied for a certificate of accommodation, a key requirement under the Minimum Standards of Housing and Worker Services Act, to convert containers into accommodation.
“First, companies must obtain permission from the city council if they want to build any accommodation, and then they can request the certificate of accommodation from us,” he said.
“Even if they say it is temporary accommodation, they still need to plan this with the municipalities.”
In a statement, Saravanan said that the operation was one of the proactive measures taken to guarantee that the application of Law 446 is implemented in a comprehensive and continuous manner.
Enforcement of the law began on November 26 and calls for a minimum space requirement for worker accommodation, basic facilities, and safety and hygiene standards.
When contacted, a company representative declined to comment on the raid.
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