MITI TO TABLE WORKING PAPER ON 'SAFE AT WORK' TO MKN, MOH SOON

PUTRAJAYA, March 1 -- The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) will present a working paper on 'Safe At Work' at factories and workplaces to the National Security Council (MKN) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the near future.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said, the working paper was aimed, among others, at empowering employers from various sectors in terms of safeguarding the safety of their employees thus helping the government curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

“Data from the previous statistics showed that most of the COVID-19 positive cases were contributed by crowded and cramped workers’ accommodations.

“If it (the working paper) is approved, we will implement this approach at all factories and workplaces so that employers will be more responsible in looking after their workers’ health and safety,” he told a press conference after the One-Year Malaysia Prihatin Keynote Address event today.

He said no action will be taken against the industry and employers if all employees and their workplaces are protected.

In another development, Mohamed Azmin said the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture together with MITI and MOH were currently formulating several standard operating procedures (SOPs) to enable the tourism sector to be fully reopened, especially after the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO)

“Our decision will be based on last year’s experience. We have collected all the data. However, whatever the decision is, what’s important is to comply with the SOPs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was also present at the press conference, said the tourism sector would be allowed to resume in stages based on the risk assessment carried out by the MOH.

He said so far, programmes in the form of meetings, initiatives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) have been allowed to resume including in states placed under the MCO.

On the status of MCO which is scheduled to end on March 4, Ismail Sabri said the matter would be discussed in a meeting to be held this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA