THE Malaysian Employers Federation today urged the government to set up a task force to manage Covid-19 in factories under the enhanced movement control order in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the task force would coordinate targeted screening and vaccination so that the workers could be quickly tracked down and given jabs.

“This will allow all factories and businesses to return to business,” he said in a statement today.

He said local authorities should participate in the task force to plan and execute measures for the reduction of infections.

“This dedicated task force should only focus on these two areas whereby the local authorities can provide details of the factories while the federal authorities work on the screening and vaccination of those working at the factories.”

He said the task force should also look into the issue of illegal factories in Selangor and KL that failed to comply with health guidelines. 

“These illegal factories should also be identified and the workers screened and vaccinated.”

Syed Hussain said the owners of the illegal factories should not be penalised at this time as the aim was to ensure that the workers had their jabs.

“We must be bold to accept that these legal and illegal factories exist, and they should be the focus of the proposed dedicated task force.

“We hope the NSC (National Security Council) and state authorities will put aside any political differences to solve the issue of increasing infections fast because many employers are suffering together with their employees.”

Syed Hussain said multinational companies based in Selangor and KL were also concerned that the prolonged lockdown would affect exports.

As such, he said a dedicated task force to tackle these problems is of “paramount importance”.

“All factories that comply strictly with the SOPs should be allowed to operate without anymore delay.

“If we delay any further, we risk seeing the (MNC) businesses close down in Malaysia.”

Yesterday the Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (Margma) appealed to the government for permission to operate under the EMCO in Selangor to ensure continued supply of gloves for the domestic and international markets.

Margma president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam said manufacturers in Selangor accounted for 58% of the total supply of gloves produced in Malaysia.

Most of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are under the EMCO for two weeks starting July 3. During the period only essential services are allowed to open but factories are not.

New Covid-19 cases have ranged around 6,000 despite the lockdown. Most of the cases are in Selangor. – July 5, 2021.