By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, May 21: Private companies will have to bear all costs incurred if there is an outbreak of Covid-19 cases in their premises which are operating during this time.
These costs involve food and medical expenses which needs to be provided to the employees when they are being placed under lockdown due to the outbreak.
“All must be paid by the corporate sector. They cannot rely on DDMC (Divisional Disaster Management Committee) to take up the costs. DDMC is only responsible for (those in the category of) B40 and below. Whatever the government can afford, we will try our best to assist.
“(However), we are not assisting the corporate companies because they are income (money-making) entities. We cannot use the people’s money to help the rich,” said Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing in a press conference in Bintulu today.
He said at this critical time when Malaysia including Sarawak and Bintulu are all facing the major crisis of a pandemic, the corporate sector should help instead of pushing all the responsibilities to the government.
To overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, Tiong who is also Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to China, held the view that all corporate and private companies must take up their responsibility of providing a hygienic working environment as well as healthcare for their employees and employees’ families.
On another related issue, Tiong said there are some companies which told their staff not to scan the MySejahtera QR code as these companies are trying to avoid being penalised by the authorities for violation of standard operating procedures (SOP) by allowing more than 30 per cent of their employees at work.
He said there are some companies who are 100 per cent operational but told DDMC only 30 per cent of its employees were being asked to work. And when DDMC enforcement teams came to check the MySejahtera status of these companies, employers who were working but did not check-in were fined.
Tiong claimed that these companies refused to take up the fines but passed them onto their employees.
“They did not ask their employees to stop work and when things happen, they don’t want to take responsibility. These companies just don’t care about the difficulties faced by their workers.
“That is why I want to remind all corporate companies that whenever there are cases in your premises or sites or in your working places, all costs will be borne by the companies (should there be an outbreak).
“If you don’t want to pay (to incur unnecessary costs), I will give you a suggestion: don’t open your premises (don’t operate),” said Tiong. — DayakDaily
