Foreigners with valid permits can resume working - Ismail Sabri

Foreign workers with valid permits who are currently in Malaysia can return to work when their employment sectors resume operations, says Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the decision was subject to the condition that they have to undergo COVID-19 screening tests before returning to work.

This was decided at the the Special Ministerial meeting on the Movement Control Order (MCO) today, he said.

Ismail Sabri said apart from this, the special meeting also noted that there were still food premises that served food buffet-style without waiters or the provision of disposable gloves to take the food.

“This does not comply with the prescribed Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) and food premises operators must ensure the availability of waiters and disposable gloves for customers, if serving food buffet-style,” he told a press conference on the development of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) at the Parliament today.

Touching on the MySejahtera application, Ismail Sabri said so far, 6.2 million users had downloaded and activated the application besides 254,833 business premises have also registered it.

However, he said there were still many business premises which have yet to provide MySejahtera QR codes to their customers, they instead use the QR Codes of applications developed by other parties.

“The government would like to urge business operators to register with the MySejahtera application to facilitate the government’s efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19,” he said.

Meanwhile, 1,623 illegal immigrants, 526 tekong and 110 smugglers were detained under ‘Ops Benteng’ from May 1 until yesterday.

Ismail Sabri said the authorities also detained 59 boats and 161 vehicles that attempted to trespass the country’s borders.

“Yesterday, police mounted 67 ‘Ops Benteng’ roadblocks nationwide and inspected 39,183 vehicles to curb the entry of illegal immigrants, especially via rat trails, and five foreigners were detained for immigration offences,” he said.

In the meantime, Ismail Sabri said 68 individuals were arrested for violating the RMCO yesterday and of the total, 14 were remanded, while another 54 were issued compounds.

-- BERNAMA