TRADERS at the Selayang wholesale market, already short of local workers to restart business, are now saddled with another problem – they have to fork out money to get their new hires tested for Covid-19.

These traders have been given the go ahead to operate their stalls at the market but they cannot use foreign workers, who provided the bulk of labour at the market, due to the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) which will only be lifted on May 3.

The Selayang market was ordered closed for disinfection from April 20 to 23 after seven traders and 17 workers tested positive for Covid-19, and the area around the market was placed under EMCO.

The EMCO covers northern Kuala Lumpur, Selayang and surrounding areas, affecting thousands of residents.

At present, only 50 out of the 216 traders at the wholesale market are operating, and that too, at half pace due to the lack of manpower.

Some of the traders told The Malaysian Insight they will need to send potential new workers to private healthcare centres for screening and it cost more than RM400 for a single person. They are only allowed to work if they are tested negative.

Kuala Lumpur Vegetables Wholesalers’ Association secretary Law Tek Kim said traders need workers but as most are going through tough times due to the pandemic, bearing the screening costs for new employees is another burden too many.

“If we hire local workers from outside, then they must undergo screening at private healthcare centres so that the results will be out faster.

“I’ve managed to find a few people but the owner must bear the cost of the tests and the results must be negative. If the result is positive, then our money is gone.

“So this leads to insufficient workers at the market and currently only about 50 shops are open,” the 55-year-old said.

The Malaysian Insight reported yesterday that a severe shortage of local vegetables is expected in the coming weeks as farmers in Cameron Highlands have been forced to cut back on new plantings due to disruptions in the supply chain.

The disruption is due to new rules governing operations at the wholesale market in Selayang, an important logistics hub for vegetables in the country.

The shortage, said vegetable traders, will likely drive prices for local vegetables by up to 40%, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Law, who has been operating his business in the market for 30 years, said he used to have six people working in his shop before but with the government requiring traders to only use local labour, he has temporarily stopped hiring due to the cost of screening workers.

Law said he and his younger brother, who were screened on April 5 by the Health Ministry, are currently managing the business but added they had to reduce the supply quantity due to lack of manpower.

He said other traders are also reducing supplies as they don’t have the labour to meet demand.

Association chairman Wong Keng Fatt, who is also hampered by manpower issues, had earlier said he had no choice but to find workers and send them for private screening in order to operate his shop.

Wong said he paid for their screenings from his own pocket instead of deducting the cost from their salaries.

“I sent three of my local workers for screening at a private clinic and it cost me more than RM1,300.

“The payment is solely from me and I won’t deduct from their salary.

“Some of us have no choice but to pay for their tests so that we can open our business. If we close, then customers are going to suffer,” he said.

Wong said he has not opened his shop yet because he is under quarantine after undergoing screening but has made early preparations so he will have workers for his shop when the quarantine ends.

“My quarantine ends in three days and I will immediately start business because my shop has been closed for a long time,” he said.

Another vegetable trader at the wholesale market, Lee Chee Keong, 46, said despite wanting to hire more local workers and screening being the safest option, he finds it to be a costly affair.

Lee said he used to have 16 workers, including 10 foreigners.

He said to replace the foreign workers, he will need to spend more than RM4,000 to have them all tested for Covid-19 at private healthcare centres.

“Just imagine spending RM400 each for 10 new local workers… that already comes up to RM4,000.

“What if one of them decides to work for a few days and then leaves? Some might want to work for daily wages. They are not contracted. So, if that happens, then I’m at a loss as I can’t ask them to refund the screening fee,” Lee said.

He said new workers need to be trained, supervised and monitored, adding some local workers that were hired recently by other traders seem to be fussy about what they do and are demanding.

“They only want to do specific jobs but the salary for everyone is within the same range.

“They cannot be choosy. They have to be willing to learn everything,” he said. – May 1, 2020.