PUTRAJAYA should foot the full bill for those returning from abroad and placed under the mandatory 14-day quarantine to curb the chain of Covid-19 infections, said consumer groups.

Another option is for these people under investigation (PUIs) to be placed in fully equipped quarantine centres rather than high-end hotels, they told The Malaysian Insight.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive Paul Selvaraj said it’s wrong to charge Malaysians for basic quarantine facilities.

“It is no fault of theirs that this is happening, so the government should cover the full charge.

“It is the government who decides where to put them, whether in hotels or quarantine centres, so they should bear the cost,” Paul told The Malaysian Insight.

He was responding to Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who said Malaysian returnees will have to pay RM2,100 for food and lodging during their 14-day stay at a quarantine centre. The government will subsidise the remaining cost of RM2,600.

Ismail yesterday upped the ante when he warned that those who refused to pay the quarantine charges face a fine of RM1,000 with legal action.

Paul said that even though the government is subsidising RM2,600, the amount is still high.

“If there are charges, then it should be minimal to be borne by the returnees. But paying more than 40%, which is RM2,100, is still quite high because it is no fault of the returnee. They are just victims of circumstance.

“This will only further burden the returnees who most probably have also lost their jobs.”

Paul, however, said if they want better hotels or facilities not provided by the government, then they should bear the costs.

“The government has prepared the quarantine centres, so anything extra, they (returnees) will have to pay.”

Special functions minister Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday Putrajaya has spent almost RM116 million to house 104,467 PUIs in 322 quarantine centres since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

As of July 24, the cost of using hotels and training institutes to quarantine PUIs was RM115.9 million, with RM49.6 million for hotels.

No hotels

Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader also agreed that RM 2,100 is too high.

“To reduce the cost, they should all be put in quarantine centres with full facilities instead of being put up in high-end hotels.

“Then the cost can be cut down a lot and the government then can afford to pay in full for their boarding,” Mohideen told The Malaysian Insight.

Instead of subsidising the RM2,600, the government can use that amount to pay for the full boarding, he said.

“They don’t need five-star treatment. If they want that service, then they will have to pay the full amount.”

Mohideen also suggested that the government look into implementing the electronic monitoring wristbands.

This, he said, will allow returnees to be home quarantined and reduce costs.

“They can go home if monitored properly with the wristbands. If you flout the law, then the authorities can take action.”

Two Johor lawmakers have also urged the government to bear the costs for quarantine and treatment of Malaysian workers who want to return from Singapore.

Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasir said these Malaysians are stuck in Singapore after they were retrenched following the border closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic on March 18.

Pulai MP Salahuddin Ayub wanted to know why Sarawak could cover the cost of quarantine for its citizens but the federal government could not do so for Malaysians entering the peninsula.

Both MPs said Malaysians working in Singapore are mostly from lower-income groups. – August 5, 2020.