KUCHING, April 5: The state government must consider stopping factories in the Samajaya Free Industrial Zone from operating during the movement control order (MCO), after Kuching was declared a Red Zone for Covid-19.
Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen said such the factories are not listed in the essential services.
“These factories are not in the essential lists of services but have been enjoying exemption from the Sarawak state government since the MCO first took effect on March 18.
“The factories operating in Samajaya are mostly multinational companies (MNCs). They have the financial ability to temporarily stop production and continue paying their workers salaries,” he said in a statement.
The Stampin MP believed that MNCs have better finance, where they can pay salaries for the workers after they stopped their operation during the MCO.
“It makes no sense that while most of our local entrepreneurs and businesses are subject to MCO trying to flatten the Covid-19 infection curve and suffering in the process, these MNCs are given the privilege of continuing to operate and risking their workers and other Kuchingites with possible infection of Covid-19,” Chong reasoned.
He said that there are many workers, which might be more than thousands, going in and out the free industrial zones and these individuals are exposed to each other, causing risk not only to themselves but also the family members, as they go back home after work. — DayakDaily
