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BANGKOK: Thailand and Malaysia moved quickly to avoid Covid-19, sealing their borders, closing the movement of people, and encouraging social distancing.
They now face the delicate challenge of restarting their economies when the trusted migrant workers present one of the greatest risks of forcing another blockade.
Temperature controls and mandatory virus testing are some of the measures that are becoming the new norm for the five million guest workers in Southeast Asian nations.
But the combination of tight living conditions and language barriers makes migrant labor vulnerable to a new round of infections.
Both Thailand and Malaysia are trying to avoid a repeat of what happened in Singapore, which saw a spike in infections from its low-wage foreign workforce of a million people, many of whom live in cramped dormitories. That would be a pullback to the migrant labor market that has boosted incomes and economies across Southeast Asia.
“We could end up having an increase in cases similar to Singapore if we are not careful,” said Adisorn Keadmongkol, manager of the Thailand Migrant Task Force, which campaigns for labor rights.
“What makes companies and workers follow the rules is the fear of losing income when someone gets sick.”
Workers in Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar have been lured to their neighbors to get jobs, where they manufacture goods, build skyscrapers and tend farmland.
In turn, wealthier countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore benefit from a cheap flow of labor.
Once the travel bans are lifted, worker ties to home nations that are still experiencing outbreaks could see a further increase as they see the family and the return of the sacked workers.
As of Thursday, Malaysia had more than 6,700 Covid-19 cases, and Thailand reported just over 3,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That compares to more than 10,000 in Kuwait and Denmark, countries with much smaller populations.
While Thailand remains in a state of emergency until May, it is allowing some companies to resume operations with the ban on discarded alcohol and the permission given for restaurants to restart. On May 15, authorities will decide whether to reopen shopping malls, salons and beauty clinics.
Malaysia has allowed almost all economic activity, such as factories, to resume with the government applying guidelines against large gatherings.
Both countries have indicated that the reduction of the blocking measures depends on keeping the virus under control and any new outbreak could endanger it.
Other countries are also grappling with the best way to restart their economies.
China lifted the shutdown in Wuhan last month, although this week it announced plans to test every person in the city of 11 million. Hong Kong has doubled the limit on social gatherings to eight people and plans to reopen schools and loosen border restrictions with mainland China as cases decrease.
Thailand has already been caught by some new infections among migrants in detention centers, and authorities are stepping up efforts to reach the country’s three million foreign workers.
That includes the labor ministry publishing information in Burmese, Laotian, and Cambodian, as it asks migrants to practice good hygiene, such as washing their hands regularly, wearing a mask, and abandoning local customs, such as sharing food.
They are also urging employers to spot symptoms, although that’s not a foolproof way to spot infections.
“They are young and healthy and can carry the virus without showing symptoms and spread it in the community,” said Theanrat Nawamawat, permanent undersecretary of the Thai Ministry of Labor. “A cluster outbreak would reduce companies to an essential workforce. Everyone is vigilant. “
Some companies go further. At Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl, where migrants represent about a fifth of its workforce, employees are picked up in a private car from the department of a company that has capacity for two workers. They must go through temperature checks twice before continuing their regular sanitation process at processing plants for Thailand’s largest meat producer.
“The important thing is that we make it a clean and safe place to work,” said CEO Prasit Boondoungprasert. “Workers are concerned about contracting the infection and about losing income.”
Fear of losing income is driving workers and companies to follow rules and guidelines to avoid financial disruptions, Adisorn said, adding that those who are still employed are probably not at as high a risk as those who lost their jobs.
According to Adisorn’s calculations, some 700,000 migrant workers, mainly in tourism, services and construction, have been laid off since the closure began in late March. Without adequate incomes and safety nets, around 200,000 migrants returned home, while those who stayed, reduced expenses by sharing apartments with many others.
“The risks increase when they don’t have a job. Less income means worse living conditions for many, “said Adisorn.
So far, about 20 migrant workers in Thailand have tested positive, he said, adding that the reason the cases remained low could be because the virus is contained or there is no evidence.
In early May, around 257,000 tests were conducted in Malaysia and 286,000 in Thailand. Thailand’s health ministry said it is targeting high-risk groups, including services and retail sectors, although the budget constraint will not allow for massive testing.
Malaysia, where almost 80% of migrant workers are from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, is taking a tougher stance. The government ordered all migrant workers to undergo swabs, which can cost up to RM650 per kit.
The government previously said employers must cover the cost. But Malaysian property and construction associations issued a joint statement a few days after saying: “It is beyond the financial capacity of contractors to bear the cost, especially when contractors are already financially affected by the pandemic.”
Later it was clarified that the tests are free for all workers who currently work and are registered with the Social Security Organization. According to PwC, all employers in Malaysia must contribute to the social security of their foreign workers, except domestic employees.
Reopening
The pandemic is likely to threaten this long-standing interdependence in the region through flows of migrant workers. Countries where the virus is under control, such as Thailand and Malaysia, fear that migrant workers will return home to visit them and then infections will return.
But as companies open, only the demand for these workers is expected to increase.
Theanrat of the Thai Ministry of Labor said that once the situation “returned to normal” and the tourism and service sectors reopened, Thailand will relax its rules to allow migrants to return, with a mandatory 14-day quarantine to avoid a resurgence of cases.
Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist at Banco de Ayudhya Pcl, said the likelihood of continued restrictions on the movement of people between countries in the region could create a tight labor market.
“The key question is whether there would be enough workers when the economy reopens,” he said.
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