By Christine T
KUCHING, Oct 19: Sarawak’s foreign worker health-screening system has identified 616 workers with Hepatitis B or tuberculosis (TB), preventing them from proceeding through the State’s work authorization process and underscoring the importance of timely medical checks to protect public health.
Minister in the Premier’s Department Dato Sri John Sikie Tayai said 497 foreign workers tested positive for Hepatitis B, while another 119 tested positive for TB through the Sarawak Foreign Health Information System (SAFHIS) of Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA).
“Our 30-day post-arrival medical examination mandate is not merely an administrative formality.
“It is our frontline biosecurity defence to protect the people of Sarawak from imported infectious and communicable diseases,” he said during his ministerial winding-up speech at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting here today.
According to Sikie, early detection helps prevent disease transmission, reduces avoidable pressure and treatment costs on the public healthcare system, and reinforces public confidence in key economic sectors such as hospitality, tourism and food services.
“However, some employers delay sending newly arrived workers for screening until the final days of the 30-day grace period, which compromises early medical intervention,” Sikie said.
On employers’ concerns over financial losses when workers fail medical screening, he clarified that the fees paid are not simply forfeited without recourse.
Under the Foreign Workers Transformation Approach framework, a dedicated replacement mechanism allows any worker who fails the medical screening to be replaced within 60 days at no additional cost.
He said the replacement window was designed to protect compliant employers from financial losses while preventing the misuse or indefinite extension of replacement quotas.
The mechanism is supported by an improved average application processing time of 40 to 43 days, allowing the State to balance employers’ operational needs with timely compliance with statutory and public health requirements. —DayakDaily
