Emergency has allowed COVID-19 situation to be handled well - Hamzah

PUTRAJAYA: The declaration of emergency has allowed the government to better handle the COVID-19 situation in the country, including through the amendment of several specific acts to curb the spread of the disease, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

Stressing that there was no hidden agenda by the government in declaring the emergency, Hamzah said among the amended acts was the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 446) to ensure better living conditions for foreign workers.

"Without (emergency), maybe all this could not have been done, and most likely, we would not be able to reduce the COVID-19 cases as fast as possible," he told reporters after co-chairing the Joint Committee Meeting on Management of Foreign Workers here today with Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

He was commenting on the Committee to End the Proclamation of Emergency's move to send a second letter to the Istana Negara on Tuesday requesting an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to present a memorandum appealing for an end to the emergency.

On Jan 12, Al-Sultan Abdullah consented to the declaration of a state of emergency until Aug 1, as a proactive measure to curb the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

-- BERNAMA