KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has an existing provision when it comes to housing of foreign workers to curb the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus.
Senior Minister(Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this provision was covered under the the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 which was amended in 2019 but has yet to be implemented.
He said that the amended provisions involving housing for foreign workers were quite detailed.
"It calculates floor space against the number of workers living there. I was made to understand that tomorrow, the Human Resources Minister will announce the amendments.
"We have discussed this with the Cabinet committee which I chaired and it has been approved during a special meeting. We have tabled a lot of policies regarding foreign workers and if the Cabinet approves, I will make more announcements," he said at his press conference today.
Ismail who is the Defence Minister said the construction of workers' quarters comes under the purview of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), while kongsi (shared) housing units at construction sites were under the Human Resource Ministry.
He said that some of the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) were already being adhered to by workers, including not dining together in large groups.
Meanwhile, the minister said the latest construction cluster here where 44 workers were found to be Covid-19 positive was unearthed after their contractor sent them for health screening before resuming operations.
He said close contacts of the workers were also placed under the 14-day mandatory quarantine.
Ismail said the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Health Department has since imposed an order to seal the construction site and the kongsi involved.
He said that the site and the kongsi would be sanitised while CIDB would continue to check on their compliance of the SOP.
Ismail said authorities have inspected 5,236 construction sites, of which 4,292 were found to be not in operation. Seven were ordered to stop work, 209 were given warnings for not following the SOPs and 728 were cleared to continue operations after they were found to be complying with the guidelines.
He said that CIDB had also recently ordered all construction companies resuming operations to undertake swab tests on their foreign workers.
"Those who are positive have to be sent directly to the hospital while only those showing negative (outcome) are allowed to work. Also if we (the authorities) find anyone positive in the construction site, the place will be sealed."
He also said that 27,833 construction workers had been screened for Covid-19 by their employers.
"Can you imagine what would happen if we had not imposed these requirements. All the 44 people would have joined the other workers and congregated at KLCC for Hari Raya."