Covid-19: issue of high infections among foreign workers and in detention centers discussed at NSC meeting, says PM

PETALING JAYA: The issue of high Covid-19 infections among foreign workers and in immigration detention centers was discussed during the Covid-19 meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) on Monday (Nov 9), it says So Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Prime Minister said that he noted that the cause of the spread of Covid-19 among them was due to the crowded space in which they lived, whether in their kongsi or in detention centers.

“They made me understand that up to 40 people are housed in a kongsi and this is the reason why Covid-19 spreads rapidly,” he said in a Facebook post.

He said the same situation was observed in detention centers in Sabah that house many undocumented immigrants.

He said that the Ministry of Human Resources should inform the employers involved about this matter and emphasize the importance of workers’ health, as well as compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP).

As for the cost of Covid-19 testing for foreign workers that are supposed to be borne by employers, Muhyiddin said that he had ordered the matter to be discussed in detail and presented by relevant agencies during the next NSC meeting.

Muhyiddin said he also raised the SOP issue regarding the number of passengers allowed in a vehicle at any given time.

“I think the number shouldn’t vary. There should be a consistent regulation for private vehicles and electronic call vehicles, ”he said.