COVID-19: Penang civil servants to get salaries today

Announcing this in a press conference which was broadcast live on his personal Facebook account today, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state government decided to pay the monthly salaries earlier than usual in appreciation of the work done by state civil servants who had toiled to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

"From the cleaning staff to the enforcers and officers responsible for the critical services, they have not stopped working to serve the people of Penang.

Those who could not come to office worked at home. To the team that worked around-the-clock at the State Government's COVID-19 Special Task Force operations room, we say thank you," he said.

Chow said he will be attending the National Security Council's Special Session meeting on the management of COVID-19 which will be chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Putrajaya at 3pm today, and will raise four issues there.

He added that these included tighter enforcement of factory operations during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period, sufficient supply of medical equipment for government hospitals and clinics in Penang, and the difficulty to get masks, thermometers and hand sanitisers.

"In the case of masks, I urge the federal government to set an export quota and subsidy on local manufacturers so that production can meet domestic needs. I also urge the federal government to supply these items to all state governments to be distributed to the sectors which need them.

"I will also get the status of the state government's application for a RM30-million allocation from the economic stimulus package which was tabled by the previous prime minister. In these critical times, there is no room for political differences and attention must be fully focused on efforts to fight COVID-19," he said.

On whether the state government will emulate Pahang which has prohibited business premises in several districts from operating from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. to curb the spread of COVID-19, Chow said if the MCO had the full cooperation of all Penang residents and achieved its objectives, there may not be a need for the prohibition.

However, he added, the state government was open to the idea and if necessary, the local authorities will limit the operating hours of business premises in Penang.

He said so far, the compliance rate of Penang folks with the MCO was satisfactory and enforcement will be carried out from time to time to ensure that all parties observed the order.