Month: June 2021

— The Human Resources Ministry has reminded employers who have to ferry their workers for purpose of screening or quarantine to use suitable modes of transportation to ensure the safety and welfare of the workers and the public.

In a statement today following the case involving a lorry transporting a group of positive COVID-19 foreign workers, the ministry said it took cognisance and was concerned over the incident in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Subsequently, it said the Peninsular Malaysia Manpower Department (JTKSM) and Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) would see and study the matter following the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 446 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514).

“The ministry urges employers to take appropriate action in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among workers especially during these challenging times,” he said.

He stressed that the ministry would not compromise with any employer who flouts the law.

It was reported that police detained a lorry with 48 workers on board who were positive COVID-19 and wearing pink bracelets in Sungai Lalang, Bedong yesterday. Pictures of the incident went viral on social media.

Kuala Muda district police chief, ACP Adzli Abu Shah was reported as saying that the 48 men were among 135 workers of the chicken processing factory in Sungai Lalang, Bedong who were confirmed positive COVID-19 and that the lorry was ferrying back the 48 workers to their hostel after an examination at the Kuala Muda District Health Centre (PKD).

Earlier, 87 of their colleagues had been taken back from the Kuala Muda PKD.

According to Adzli, the lorry driver was also issued a summons for an offence under Section 23(2) of the Road Transport Act for using a Motor Vehicle License (LKM) for other purposes.

The management of the factory would be investigated under Section 22(a) of Act 342 Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 1988 and Section 269 of the Penal Code for negligence that could spread diseases that endanger lives, he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

— Employers will have to fully bear vaccination charges for workers in critical economic sectors in the Economic Frontliners Vaccination Programme for the retail sector which is expected to begin this month, according to ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd (ProtectHealth).

ProtectHealth, a company appointed by the Health Ministry as an implementer of the involvement of private medical practitioners in the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, said although employees received government-purchased vaccines, employers had to cover the cost of providing industrial vaccination centres (PPVs) and fees to private medical practitioners involved.

“Besides that, employers are not allowed to impose any charges on their employees, and employers are fully responsible for operating the PPV well.

“Therefore, ProtectHealth would like to deny the statement issued by the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) and quoted by several newspapers that the company set a fee of RM50 for vaccination,” it said in a statement, today.

Recently, the PPK said workers are expected to pay a reduced charge of RM50 for on-site COVID-19 vaccinations after malls agreed to subsidise the costs of the exercise.

The association said malls shall largely subsidise these costs and be allowed to charge the workers merely RM20 per participant (RM10 per dose) while ProtectHealth will charge participants an additional RM30 per participant (RM15 to administer each dose), bringing the total charge per participant to RM50.

The PPK statement followed the announcement by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi that more than 500,000 workers in the retail sector will receive the benefits of the implementation of the Economic Frontliners Vaccination Programme for the retail sector.

ProtectHealth stressed that the additional cost of operating the PPV or nominal commitment fee stated by the PPK previously was the association’s own decision, in fact it was not determined and was not paid to the company.

It said all the ministries involved would be responsible to ensure that the charges imposed were kept to a minimum and did not mean making a profit and not burdening the industry involved in the programme.

After the employer obtains the approval of the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force, ProtectHealth will manage the handling and vaccination at a cost of RM15 per vaccine dose through the involvement of private medical practitioners.

“The participation of sectors or companies (in the Economic Frontliners Vaccination Programme for the retail sector) is also optional and not mandatory,” it said.

Therefore, employers and employees who do not participate in vaccination in this critical economic sector will still receive the COVID-19 vaccine for free under the mainstream phase of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme when it is their turn.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

The need for more COVID-19 vaccination exercises in Sabah, especially in rural areas, was among crucial issues presented by Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today.

In separate virtual audiences with His Majesty, PBRS deputy president, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, and UPKO president, Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, agreed that various strengthening measures should be implemented to ensure a more effective vaccination programme in the state.

Arthur said Sabah still has one of the lowest rates of vaccine registrations in the country, which, among other things, is due to geographical factors such as road infrastructure and inefficient internet facilities in the state.

“However, manual registration exercise is being carried out in the interiors such as in Pensiangan, so that the people can be registered to receive the vaccines, apart from the mobile vaccination programme for the villagers.

“I was given the opportunity to present the issue and share some views with His Majesty, and this shows His Majesty’s concern for Malaysians in Sabah. His Majesty is deeply concerned about issues related to COVID-19 and how to deal with it, and the challenges of the vaccination programme in remote areas,” he said.

Arthur, who is also Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) and MP for Pensiangan, said he also submitted his view on the current economic situation, including aspects of unemployment and gross domestic product, apart from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people in rural Sabah.

Meanwhile, Madius, who is also the MP for Tuaran, said he presented to His Majesty the need for the direct involvement of the state government machinery and the corporate sector to expedite the vaccination process in Sabah.

“Give the state government the opportunity to buy vaccines and run their own vaccination programme, as well as for the corporate sector who can afford it, such as GLCs (government-linked companies), so that they can purchase the vaccines and give them to their staff,” he said in an online press conference today.

Apart from that, he said the federal government should also speed up the approval process for more brands of vaccines in the country to enable more vaccine doses to be administered, as only Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines have been approved so far.

Madius said he also informed His Majesty of the need to set up a Parliamentary Special Committee to ensure that all MPs, including the Opposition, were given responsibilities in decision-making, as the fight against COVID-19 needed political stability.

“Give the Opposition leaders the opportunity to sit in the National Security Council, especially the more senior MPs, to share views on how to handle COVID-19 and also address various issues that arise, especially involving the people and the economy.

“Apart from that, the moratorium also needs to be re-implemented comprehensively, instead of targeted or conditional on bank loans to companies and individuals. Also, the provision of laptops (to students) needs to be accelerated, and broadband access expanded, especially in rural areas,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

A total of 20,000 smartphones will be distributed to the lower-income group (B40) students through the ‘Tuisyen Cikgu Saarani’ (TCS) programme to facilitate students preparing for major examinations this year.

Education, Higher Learning and Human Resources Committee chairman Ahmad Saidi Mohamad Daud said the initiative would assist students to continue the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) without constraints or issues related to internet access.

“Students can obtain information via e-tuition programme which is accessible 24 hours a day for subjects from Year One to Form 6, besides having access to hundreds of thousands of other applications. Students are also provided with free data and book vouchers.

“Parents are urged to monitor their children so that they do not misuse the gadgets for playing online games instead of using them for online learning,” he told reporters here today.

Under the first phase, each state constituency will receive 150 smartphones while the remaining 100 units will be distributed in the next phase.

In February, the state government launched the TCS programme, a tutoring initiative for the nearly 200,000 students in the state, especially from the poor and B40 families.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency