THE Selangor state government should extend the operation hours for construction sites from 7am until 7pm on Mondays to Fridays, Master Builders Association Malaysia president Sufri Mhd Zin said.

“This is because with the new normal, the daily procedures to scan for temperature and check-in with MySejahtera before workers are allowed entry into construction sites are taking up a lot of time,” he said in a statement.

Construction sites in Selangor are currently open from 8am to 6pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

He added that construction has been interrupted since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and affected by various movement control orders.

“There were times that sites were not allowed to operate, or the productivity of which is low due, to compliance with standard operating procedures.

“Based on observation, the industry in general stopped work for at least 199 days, while productivity was low for about 380 days in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,” he said.

He also said association hopes that other state governments would consider extending site opening hours.

“With the standardisation to extend construction operating hours, it would allow the industry to be able to close in on better productivity.”

Earlier this week, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has warned that movement restrictions in the social sector would be reintroduced if Covid-19 cases overrun hospitals, and that Malaysia’s transition into the endemic phase for the disease would take a “long, long time”.

“We’re nowhere near that right now. If any countries feel they can declare victory, they’re sorely mistaken,” Khairy said. – November 26, 2021.