PUTRAJAYA: Covid-19 screening for foreign workers will help employers prevent their business operations from experiencing huge losses, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said.
He said the government was worried a "foreign worker cluster" would emerge in the country if necessary precautions were not taken by employers.
"If one of their employees test positive for Covid-19, the government will shut down the company's entire operations.
"If a company takes care of its workers as recommended, its entire operations might not be shut down.
"The reason we instructed for the compulsory screening is because we want to save their businesses by saving their employees," he told the New Straits Times and Berita Harian in an interview.
Recently, the government shut down a construction site in Jalan Ampang after Covid-19 positive cases were detected there.
Following that, the government instructed all employers to send their foreign employees for a compulsory Covid-19 screening but the instruction was met with criticism.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said the directive came at a time businesses were struggling to restart their operations after almost two months of shutdown.
MEF executive director Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said employers could end up spending up to RM1 billion if they followed the directive to screen all foreign workers.
He also said that the move was "overkill" and could lead to logistical problems as there are some 2.3 million documented foreign workers, adding that Covid-19 tests could cost around RM500 per person.
However, Ismail Sabri pointed out that about 60 per cent of foreign workers in Malaysia were Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributors.
"We've already said Socso will pay for the Covid-19 test for all of its contributors," he said while calling on business operators to look at the directive in a positive way.
As for non-contributors, Ismail Sabri said employers can make an arrangement with their employees by deducting their monthly salaries to offset screening costs.
"For example, the employer can deduct RM50 monthly from the workers' salary."
"At the end of the day, employers are responsible for their workers because, without these employees, the companies won't be able to operate, right?
"Treat your employees as you would your family members. Like it or not, we all have to make sacrifices.
"I hope employers can make that sacrifice for their workers," he said.