PUTRAJAYA will allow local mask producers to hire more foreign workers to increase production to meet public demand due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak here, said Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The deputy prime minister said the cabinet agreed to increasing the number of workers in this sector, but assured there would be no influx of foreign workers.

“The cabinet, through the Home Ministry, has agreed to loosen the requirements to ensure more foreign workers are hired so that extra masks can be produced.

“The ministry and the chief secretary to the government will handle this.

“This is an emergency situation but we don’t want to flood the country with extra workers. We will be monitoring (the situation),” she said after chairing a special high-level committee meeting on the coronavirus at Putra Perdana this afternoon.

She added that the manufacturers had pled for a relaxation in government policy on migrant workers as they struggled to cope with the tenfold increase in demand for face masks since January for both medical and public consumption.

“The manufacturers said that, if they had enough workers, they could operate 24 hours in three shifts,” she said.

Dr Wan Azizah said all face mask production will be for the domestic market only. 

She added the government would monitor the prices of face masks to ensure there is no profiteering.

On another matter, Dr Wan Azizah said the Immigration Department has reported an attempt and request from two luxury liners from Hong Kong to dock in Malaysia.

She said one of them, Westerdam, had about 1,000 passengers and had been to Hong Kong before heading to Taiwan on February 1.

It wanted to dock in Malaysia but eventually docked in Cambodia yesterday.

“And, the other one, Sapphire Princess, has safely docked in Singapore.

“The government has decided not to allow any foreign ships to dock here if they are not willing to share important details with us,” she added. – February 14, 2020.