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PUTRAJAYA: The directive for employers to test their foreign workers for Covid-19 will be applied under Law 342, so that action can be taken against those who do not comply, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Announcing that the ruling would go into effect on January 1, the Chief Minister said that the special meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) decided to force employers to bear the costs of quarantine and treatment of their foreign workers who tested positive for Covid-19. .
He said the Human Resources Ministry also revealed that many employers had refused to cooperate and comply with the government’s decision to test their foreign workers. “Therefore, the NSC agreed to enforce this order under the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act so that legal action and sanctions can be taken against employers who do not comply,” he said yesterday.
The mandatory Covid-19 test for foreign workers went into effect on December 1 for employers in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Sabah.
So far, 49,248 foreign workers have been examined, involving 1,900 employers.
Ismail Sabri said placing the request under the law was necessary to ensure that foreign workers were screened.
On employers who have to pay for the treatment and quarantine of their foreign workers, he said that the special meeting agreed with the proposal of the National Agency for Disaster Management, since employees have the right to medical assistance.
“If they go to the clinics, the employers will have to pay.
“Now, they will also have to pay for medical costs if their workers test positive,” he said.
The senior minister said the government will also tighten controls on accommodations to ensure that employers comply with the ruling to provide their workers with adequate living conditions.
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