Contractors Risk Suspension For Mistreating Employees Report

---

CORONAVIRUS | Construction companies that fail to provide proper living quarters for their workers as required by law would face strong action, says Works Minister Fadillah Yusof (above).

The minister stated, as reported by an English daily, that contractors who do not adhere to requirements under the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act can be suspended or even have their contractor's registration cancelled by the authorities.

"The law makes it the responsibility of employers to ensure workers stay in proper accommodation with adequate amenities," said Fadillah, as quoted by The Star Online.

The minister was quoted as expressing his concern over the high number of Covid-19 positive cases recorded among construction workers recently.

According to Fadillah, the spread of Covid-19 among construction workers could happen in accommodations that are overcrowded, which makes social distancing impossible
"I am concerned regarding the latest cases of Covid-19 involving construction workers.

"The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has been informed by the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory and Putrajaya Health Department of the 44 Covid-19 positive cases at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur on May 24.

"These positive cases were discovered after the contractor sent 400 workers for Covid-19 clinical tests in preparation to start work, as required under the construction industry's conditional movement control order's standard operating procedures.

"The construction site had not started operations when the positive cases were discovered," said Fadillah.

The minister said that the government, through its Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP), was trying to ensure that worker accommodations follow standards required by the law.

CIDB had in 2016, in collaboration with Standards Malaysia, introduced the Malaysian Standard for Construction Site Workers Amenities and Accommodation. - Mkini

---