MALAYSIA has prepared a strict standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entry of foreign workers covering four stages to curb the risk of Covid-19 transmission, Human Resource Minister M. Saravanan said.

The stages are pre-departure, arrival, post-arrival (quarantine period) and post-quarantine.

Saravanan said the foreign workers are required to be fully vaccinated in their country of origin and enter Malaysia using a special lane when they arrive at KLIA.

These workers will then be quarantined at certified quarantine centres before being taken to their respective workplaces and employers must provide a conducive accommodation as required under the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990.

Saravanan said the workers will undergo a 14-day quarantine and take the RT-PCR Covid-19 test on the first, third, fifth and seventh day before being transferred to their respective workplaces.

“These four stages are crucial in ensuring safe entry of foreign workers into the country,” he told reporters after the Certified Disability Management Professional graduation ceremony in Putrajaya today.

On the entry of foreign domestic helpers, he said the SOP is being studied by the ministry.

On December 8, Saravanan said Malaysia is expected to receive between 5,000 and 10,000 workers from Indonesia next year to work in the construction and manufacturing sectors and as domestic helpers.

Meanwhile, he said the Social Security Organisation received 50,634 claims for temporary disablement benefits and 32,275 invalidity applications in 2020, of which 5,503 people were confirmed to have suffered from invalidity. – Bernama, December 16, 2021.