Follow all rules, FMM tells its members

GEORGE TOWN: The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has reminded its members to comply with all regulations set by the authorities, especially Act 446 (the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990) during the third movement control order.

FMM Penang chairman Dato Jimmy Ong, however, said its members have complied with Act 446 which emphasises providing adequate and safe housing accommodation for foreign workers.

“There is no truth that our members had not complied with Act 446 and it caused more infection in factories.

“The Health Ministry’s figures on Monday showed that 91.4% were locally transmitted cases while only 8.6% were non-citizens, out of the 6,509 cases.

“It is the infection in the local community that had contributed to the high number of Covid-19 cases.”

Ong added that as a proactive step, FMM had initiated the Penang SAFE programme by holding mass testing using the deep throat saliva method for all workers.

The mass testing, believed to be the first involving factories in the country, would show a spike in Covid-19 cases in Penang and ensure early detection of clusters.

“In the fight against the pandemic, every stakeholder including the industries, regulators, healthcare providers, communities and various government agencies, must work hand-in-hand to defeat the virus, ” Ong said.