PETALING JAYA: A glove manufacturer in Kajang has been slapped with a seven-day closure notice by the health ministry for failing to comply with Covid-19 preventive measures.
A multi-agency raid today found 781 workers living behind the factory in two blocks of shipping containers that were stacked three stories high – a violation of the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act (Act 446).
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan, who was among those who joined the raid, confirmed that 759 of the 781 workers were foreign nationals.
The closure notice sighted by FMT stated that the factory was ordered to close from Dec 24 until Dec 30 as “it was in a condition that may lead to the start or the spread of infectious diseases to the public” under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act.
Describing the accommodations as “very dirty”, a source in the Labour Department also said the workers were living in “tight and crowded” conditions.
“They are just living in containers. That’s a problem,” he told FMT.
“If the space is meant for 100 people, they (the company) squeezed in 400.”
The joint operation also found that the factory was in violation of Section 70 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act for erecting a building (the containers) without written permission from the local council (Kajang Municipal Council).
The Labour Department source said the glove manufacturers had not applied for a certificate of accommodation – a key requirement under the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act – to convert the containers into accommodation.
“First of all, companies need to get permission from the local council if they want to build any accommodation – and then they can apply for the certificate of accommodation from us,” he said.
“Even if they say it is temporary accommodation, they still need to plan this with the local councils.”
In a statement, Saravanan said the operation was among proactive measures taken to ensure the enforcement of Act 446 is implemented comprehensively and continuously.
Enforcement of the Act started on Nov 26 and mandates a minimum space requirement for workers’ accommodation, basic facilities as well as safety and hygiene standards.
When contacted, a company representative refused to comment on the raid.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR LIVE UPDATE OF THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA