MITI: Firms may reopen without approval letter

KUALA LUMPUR (May 9): Companies may resume business operations from May 4, 2020 without an approval letter from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and Covid-19 screening of workers is not mandatory, says the ministry.

In a statement in relation to frequently asked questions about the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) here yesterday, MITI said employers may use the Social Secuirty Organisation’s (Socso) screening programme, with more details available at https://prihatin.perkeso.gov.my.

“The workers’ Covid-19 health screening programme is free for employers who are registered with Socso. For further enquiries, please call Socso at 03-42645555 / 03-80915100 / 1-300-22- 8000,” it said.

However, it is compulsory for foreign workers in the construction industry to undergo Covid-19 screening through the Socso screening programme, as stated in the industry’s standard operating procedure (SOP), while for foreign workers in other industry sectors, employers must follow the government’s directives and announcements issued from time to time, MITI said.

Treatment for registered local or foreign workers who have been infected with Covid-19 will have to be done at a government hospital with the medical cost borne by the government, it added.

Individuals who are found to have had contact with a patient will have to be quarantined under the Movement Control Order subject to the Ministry of Health of Malaysia’s (MOH) directive, it said.

“If a registered local or foreign worker is infected with Covid-19, treatment should be done at a government hospital and the medical cost will be borne by the government, including for foreigners (if the diagnosis for Covid-19 is confirmed),” it said.

“If a worker (who becomes a close contact due to working) needs to be quarantined at a place other than a government hospital or his house, the cost of quarantine at the quarantine centre will have to be borne by the employer. 

“Any other logistics costs outside the government hospital or government clinic will also have to be borne by the employer,” MITI said.

If a worker refuses a company’s directive to work, the company may refer to the Department of Labour via email at [email protected] or [email protected].

If an employer does not comply with the SOP, a complaint may be made directly to the relevant authorities, as follows:

 

“It is the collective responsibility of all quarters to understand and comply with all the current directives of the National Security Council (MKN) and also the SOP on the prevention of Covid-19 issued by the MOH, so that together we can mitigate the risk and contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said, adding any changes to the directives from the MKN and MOH will be announced from time to time.

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