GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is working with various quarters to ensure the safety, health and welfare of migrants and refugees, including the Rohingyas, during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Covid-19 virus did not discriminate against race, religion and nationality.
He said if Penang did not safeguard the safety and health of the migrant community here, it would indirectly mean that the state was unable to break the infection chain.
Should we fail to break the infection chain, the people of Penang and Malaysians in general will be the ones affected, he said.
“Based on this, the state government has advised employers such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the Real Estates and Housing Developers Association (REHDA) Penang branch to ensure that the safety and welfare of their employees, including migrant workers are well-taken care of.
“FMM has provided feedback that their migrant workers have been instructed to strictly comply with the MCO, adopt public health measures such as social distancing, and for those who are involved in factory operations of essential services, face masks and hand sanitisers will be provided for them.
“To ensure everyone’s safety in the state, enforcement officers from the two city councils will regularly monitor the working condition of construction sites to ensure they are MCO compliant," he said.
Chow said the feedback received by the state government so far showed that employers were still paying wages to their migrant workers.
“However, we had also received complaints from employers, especially SME entrepreneurs, saying that the extended MCO would place a heavy financial burden on them," he added.
For the refugee community, he noted the state government had been cooperating with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) providing the services such as Persatuan Komuniti Berdikari, Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign, ASPIRE Penang, Malaysian Relief Agency, Doctors Without Borders Caremongers Penang, Penang Working Group and others.
Last week, the state approved an allocation for Persatuan Komuniti Berdikari in aid of the refugee community in Penang.