Malaysia requires employers to provide quarantine centres for foreign workers

Employers in Malaysia are required to provide quarantine centres to isolate their foreign workers who test positive for COVID-19, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan.

The employers will also have to foot the bill for the medical costs incurred, and ensure the welfare of their workers, he added. 

They should also report to the Ministry of Health immediately if any of their foreign workers are found to be COVID-19 positive, the minister said. 

In line with the new regulations, employers should provide COVID-19 screening tests for their workers, Saravanan said, adding that “this is to enable early detection of foreign workers who are positive with COVID-19 and further curb the spread of the pandemic to their other colleagues.”

He noted that “employers should be more proactive in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among their foreign workers, following the increase in the positive COVID-19 cases”.

As the country battles surging cases, the government announced Monday that interstate travel is banned across the country, while travel between districts will not be allowed for states under the Movement Control Order (MCO), which applies to Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah.

READ: All foreign workers in Malaysia must be screened for COVID-19 starting Jan 1

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has described the nation’s healthcare system to be at its breaking point and “under tremendous pressure”. 

On Tuesday, Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah declared a state of emergency for the country, which will last until August 1 or earlier depending on the state of coronavirus infections. This grants the prime minister the ability to govern by fiat.