THE Sabah government’s decision to allow foreign workers from China was a unilateral decision made by the state, said senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the matter was not discussed in the Special Ministerial Committee or at the federal level.

He added that as per the National Security Council ruling, the borders are still closed for foreign workers, except for those under the employment pass (EP) 1.

“The Sabah government’s decision in allowing the Chinese workers to enter has not been discussed at federal level or at the special committee meeting.

“Our borders are still closed for foreigners, including tourists and workers.

“Only EP1 workers are allowed to enter,” he said at his media briefing on the recovery movement-control order (RMCO) today.

He also said EP1 workers are required to have swab tests taken in their country and here.

On July 1, Sabah said it was opening its doors again to foreign workers from China to jumpstart the construction industry in the state.

Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal announced that the state is opening its air, land and sea borders to Chinese nationals.

Ismail Sabri said at the present time, the government was still in discussion on whether they could categorise certain areas in China as safe zones.

However, he claimed that no decision has been taken as they still consider China as a high-risk country.

“China is a huge country and we consider them as high-risk.

“Just that now we are in discussion if we could categorise parts of China as a safe zone because they are a huge country. Some parts are red zones while some are green.

“So, this is still under discussion but till then, no tourists or foreign workers, except those under the EP1 are allowed to enter,” he said. – July 3, 2020.