ONLY one in four construction sites is operating since the sector resumed its activities after being shut down because of the control-movement order since March 18, said Master Builders Association of Malaysia president Foo Chek Lee.

Foo said others are set to resume operations as soon as they meet the government’s strict standard operating procedures to ensure healthy and safety requirements, including getting their workers screened for Covid-19.

The construction sector reopened on April 10 but with strict SOP in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Some contractors have taken a wait-and-see approach before they start operations as they anticipate problems when starting work, Foo said.

“Sites are also gathering workers as some foreign workers may be missing due to no income and no food during MCO,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Some contractors also face cash-flow problems after work ground to a halt from March 18 when the MCO was implemented.

“Some may have financial problems to restart a project as they will only be paid four months as part of progressive payment.

“In the meantime, they still have to pay for materials, machine rentals, salaries and overhead.

“This means they need to be able to sustain at least for four months but bear in mind that they have no income for the last three months due to MCO,” he said.

There have also been delays with some construction workers undergoing the Covid-19 test waiting for their results. Some, he said, have waited for more than two weeks.

“Some are still waiting for appointments to be given for their testing. The government should have more testing labs to speed up the testing.”

Payment for such tests is also an issue among employers and their workers, Foo said.

“For workers who contribute to Socso, the screening cost is paid by Socso. Socso-appointed testers also do testing. These are normally legal workers who have employers.

“But for those self-employed or illegal workers, they have to pay for testing themselves. This is the main issue.”

Covid-19 outbreak among construction workers has been an issue since the sector resumed operations.

To date, at least three construction clusters have been detected and the sites have been sealed off, according to the Health Ministry.

According to the data from the Construction Industry Development Board, between April 20 and May 28, checks have been conducted at 5,729 construction sites.

The data showed that 20% – or 230 – did not comply with orders. A total of seven sites – or 1% – were ordered to close.

The seven are sites at Jalan Damai, Kg Dato Keramat and Mukim Batu in Sentul Kuala Lumpur among others.

Four sites in Kedah and one in Genting were also ordered to close. – June 2, 2020.