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KUALA LUMPUR: More than 750,000 employees in the Klang Valley, Sabah and Labuan were ordered to work from home as of Thursday (October 22), in accordance with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) that applies in these areas.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mohamed Azmin Ali, explained that the number of employees in the manufacturing, construction and services sector in Sabah, Selangor and the federal territories of Labuan, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya amounted to 3.1 million.
Of the total, 25 percent or 776,135 are in management and supervisory roles.
“Assuming the shared responsibility to protect the health of people and workers, the MITI (Ministry of Industry and International Trade) will immediately implement the decision of the MKN (National Security Council) so that industry actors present the policy of I work from home for the administration and supervision staff, “said Mohamed Azmin.
This is to reduce the risk of spreading the virus, he added.
READ: Movement restrictions to tighten in Selangor, KL and Putrajaya as cases surge amid third wave of COVID-19
However, the minister also said in the statement that having taken into account the needs of the industries, the ministry would allow a maximum of 10 percent of administrative staff to work in the office four hours a day and three times a week.
Malaysia’s Minister of Industry and International Trade Azmin Ali reacts during a press conference in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on March 11, 2020. REUTERS / Lim Huey Teng
These employees include those who handle, among others, accounting, finance, administration, law, planning, and information and communications technology, he explained.
They are allowed to be present in the office from 10 am to 2 pm
Mr. Mohamed Azmin added that employers do not need to submit separate applications for this, but only need to provide staff with a letter of authorization.
While Malaysia is now under a recovery movement control order, the aforementioned states and federal territories have been placed under the stricter CMCO following an increase in COVID-19 cases.
READ: ‘No full lockdown yet,’ Prime Minister Muhyiddin says as COVID-19 cases continue to rise
On Tuesday, the MKN announced that employees at the management and supervisory levels in areas under CMCO must work from home starting Thursday, until further notice.
As of Thursday, Malaysia has recorded a total of 22,957 cases and 199 deaths, with 7,827 active cases.
CIVIL SERVICE TO ALLOW 30% OF THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE OFFICE
Meanwhile, the director general of the Public Services Department, Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman, said in a statement that each civil service department can have up to 30 percent of its staff working in the office as of Thursday.
“These measures are taken in order to reduce the presence of employees in the affected areas.
“The department heads must ensure that only a maximum of 30 percent of the federal public administration officials are in the office and, at the same time, ensure that the services provided by the respective agencies are accessible to users”, he said, adding that the office’s presence was only applicable to those considered essential services by department heads.
Mr. Mohd Khairul added that according to these orders, not all face-to-face activities will be allowed.
A health worker (L) in Malaysia uses a swab to collect a sample from a man for COVID-19 testing on April 22, 2020 (Photo: AFP / Mohd Rasfan)
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