Foreign workers stay at home during the full movement control order, June 2, 2021. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
MUAR, July 1 — Police are now focusing their attention on ensuring compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) at workers’ hostels following a worrying increase in Covid-19 cases in these places.
Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department SAC of Operations MV Srikumar Madhavan Nair said employers in the manufacturing and industrial sector should not take lightly the SOP at workers’ accommodations, as spelt out in Phase One of Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan (PPN).
He said most places of lodging in this sector were of the centralised accommodation type housing workers of several factories in one hostel, which posed a high risk of spreading infections.
“So far employers have mostly complied with the SOP at the workplace such as physical distancing, number of workers present and several other aspects.
“But they do not place much emphasis on the SOP at their workers’ hostels,” he told reporters after a compliance operation at the industrial area and workers’ hostels in Bukit Bakri here today.
Srikumar said police have recommended that employers reduce the number of workers in a hostel to help curb the spread of the virus.
“Prior to this, we only paid attention to workers at the work places and the time has come for us to pay attention to their hostels and other places of accommodation.
“Although Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are now the hotspots, we (police) and other enforcement agencies will continue to monitor in every state and note the infections occurring in every district,” he added.
The inspections on four factories also involved personnel from the Muar Municipal Council, Muar District Health Office, Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia and the Civil Defence Force. — Bernama