By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Nov 23: Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) Kuching branch’s chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok believed that there is no necessity for foreign workers in Sarawak to undergo compulsory Covid-19 swab test.
He opined that the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has managed to control the Covid-19 infection in the state well and cases at factories and construction sites remained low.
Thus, he asserted that there is no requirement for foreign workers at factories and construction sites in Sarawak to undergo the compulsory Covid-19 screening.
“The compulsory testing at factories and construction are not required yet.
“Our factories and construction sites are being randomly checked and tested on their workers.
“In our community, our contact and trace procedures are active and effective to contain and reduce the (Covid-19) infection rate.
“We closed our borders and those who entered Sarawak must be tested and quarantined for 14 days,” he said in a statement.
On another note, Sim who is also a director of Sim Swee Yong Development and Construction Sdn Bhd welcomed the compulsory screening of Covid-19 for foreign workers.
He said the use of rapid test kit (RTK) antigens which provides faster test results for Covid-19 swab test as compared to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is good.
Sim added the move by several private medical centres in Sarawak that provide Covid-19 swab test for foreign workers at construction sites or industry premises instead of having long queues at clinics will cause less idling time and logistics problems for those workers.
He also opined that the compulsory testing for foreign workers in several states in Peninsular Malaysia such as Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang as well as Sabah, the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan was a good move.
He observed that those states were in the middle of the third waves of Covid-19 infection and several clusters of infection were identified from the factories.
He noted the subsidy of RM60 per test for Covid-19 screening provided by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) was a good which will put less financial burden on businesses which are reeling from the catastrophe of the Covid-19 infection. —DayakDaily
