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PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR / ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The Malaysian government will lift the conditional motion control order (CMCO) in four states, but has put Kelantan under lockdown and announced that all foreign workers in select regions will have to undergo a the mandatory Covid-19. tests.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that a CMCO would be imposed in Kelantan from Saturday (November 21) due to an increase in Covid-19 cases. This comes after Mengketil’s group in the state recorded 41 cases in various districts.
He also said that the CMCO would end in Kedah, Melaka, Terengganu and Johor from Sunday, ahead of the initially set date of December 6.
Malaysia expanded CMCO to nine of its 13 states on Nov.9 after a surge in coronavirus cases.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ismail Sabri also announced that foreign workers in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Labuan in all sectors and industries must undergo mandatory swab testing for Covid-19.
However, the order does not cover domestic workers such as maids.
The Chief Minister said this would be phase one of the policy to force foreign workers to get tested, following an increase in the number of cases among them.
He said the matter was decided by the special meeting of the National Security Council (MKN) on Friday after a proposal presented by the Ministry of Human Resources.
“After hearing the proposal and following the advice of the Ministry of Health, the special meeting agreed that it is mandatory for foreign workers in these states, as well as in Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, to undergo RTK antigen swab testing,” he said.
However, it did not specify when the mandatory tests for foreign workers would take effect.
The MKN special meeting was informed that, as of October 31, there were 1,615.83 foreign workers in Malaysia.
Ismail Sabri said the meeting also agreed that the private clinic staff go to construction sites and workplaces to screen foreign workers rather than have them queue in front of clinics to be screened.
He also explained that the RTK antigen test was agreed as the results would be faster.
Regarding the payment of the tests, Ismail Sabri said: “The Social Security Organization (Socso) will subsidize RM60 (S $ 19.70) for foreign workers who are taxpayers, while the remaining part of the charges will be borne by their employers “.
Employers must bear the full cost of evaluating their foreign workers who are not Socso contributors.
Separately, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources told The Star that RTK antigen tests on foreign workers performed from November 21 onwards would be eligible for reimbursement.
Rebate requests can be made through Socso’s Prihatin Screening Program (PSP) portal. Socsco will also work to facilitate testing at participating clinics.
Further announcements about the reimbursement procedure and testing will be made on its website, the spokesperson said.
Ismail Sabri also said that the decision to put these workers to the test was based on a risk assessment carried out by health authorities, as the living conditions of these workers had caused a high rate of infection among them.
He also noted that new regulations had been put in place that required employers and centralized accommodation providers to ensure that homes met certain minimum requirements.
Meanwhile, to boost domestic tourism that has been badly affected by the pandemic, vacations and travel within the green states will be allowed starting Sunday.
Ismail Sabri said that this was decided after the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture submitted a proposal, adding that the special MKN meeting had agreed, but this would only be for those who live in green states or districts for destinations that also they are in green areas.
He cited an example where those in Kuantan, which is a green area, could go on vacation to Taman Negara in Kuala Tahan, which is also green.
Those who reside in Pahang and want to go on vacation to Johor, which is now green, but must pass through Negri Sembilan, must obtain permission from the police to pass through the red zone.
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