KUCHING, May 15: Bintulu MP Dato’ Seri Tiong King Sing has proposed that the Bintulu District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) stop approving work permit allowances to companies in the district that are found abusing their permits by allowing more than 30 per cent on-site workforce.
According to Tiong, who is also the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president, in a statement posted in his social media (Facebook) page today, in order not to unduly burden businesses facing a shortage of manpower following the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), the Bintulu DDMC had decided to allow several companies with valid reasons to have more than the 30 per cent limit of staffing.
“This was done to soften the MCO’s blow to businesses and lessen the impact on their operation. Unfortunately, this allowance had led to suspected abuse of the permits given to their staff in which several unscrupulous companies made all of their workers turn up for work.
“Therefore, I am proposing to Bintulu DDMC chairman Jack Aman Luat to temporarily halt approving these work permit allowances to review the existing permits for abuse,” he said.
Tiong pointed out that if the authorities are not cautious enough in this matter, and more unscrupulous businesses start to abuse the system, it is unfair to other companies that comply with the law to keep 70 per cent of their employees at home.
He emphasised that all companies in Bintulu have a part to play in containing Covid-19 cases as their social obligation, instead of constantly exploiting loopholes and challenging the standard operating procedures (SOPs) formulated by the DDMC.
“It should be stressed that the relevant permit is not permanent since Bintulu enforced the SOP for 70 per cent of employees to work from home.
“If any company is found abusing and obtaining the permit without valid cause, the authorities have all rights to withdraw it,” he added.
On the same note, Tiong claims that there are certain groups of employers that had applied for more than 30 per cent of their staff to come to work without thorough assessment of their company’s operations, and had allowed almost all of their employees to turn up for work.
“The authorities will re-examine their operations and withdraw the violating permits and maintain the 70 per cent work-from-home order,” he assured. — DayakDaily
