Total lockdown: Only critical construction work allowed - Fadillah

KUALA LUMPUR: All construction work nationwide must to be be stopped during the total lockdown period, except for those listed under the critical services list, said Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

He said in a statement today that maintenance and repair works were critical services which, if not allowed to continue, could pose a danger or inconvenience to workers, public and the environment.

According to him, this covered slope, road and bridge repairs and maintenance, traffic and traffic light management control, periodic inspections and repairs of lifts, travelators, escalators and other critical mechanical and electrical equipment.

Also allowed are repairs, maintenance and upgrades of facilities at critical service premises as well as works to maintain, clean and dry stagnant water and spraying of pesticides at construction sites to prevent the breeding of Aedes mosquitoes and other pests.

Repairs and maintenance of railway tracks, private residence repairs and the construction of the collapsed Bailey Bridge are also listed as critical construction.

Fadillah said construction work involving main and critical public infrastructure covered tunnels, slopes, bridges and viaducts as well as highways certified to be 80 per cent completed.

Other public infrastructure include MRT, LRT, ECRL, Komuter, single/double track and rail projects, infrastructure associated to electricity, telecommunications, dams, drainage and sewerage, oil and gas.

Hospital constructions that are at least 80 per cent completed as well as the building of workers' accommodation at construction sites are also listed.

"All contractors involved with the listed projects are required to get new approval through the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) at cims.cidb.gov.my for the duration of the Movement Control Order beginning June 1.

"For consultants and suppliers, applications for approval to operate must be done through the main contractor, who is responsible for filling in the information of all consultants and suppliers related to the project into the system," Fadillah said.

Fadillah said all previous approvals would not be valid during the total lockdown, and approval letters generated through the system must be displayed at the construction site premises and could be used as approval for movement by those involved in the project.

Meanwhile, he said the usual operating hours would apply, but the capacity of workers would be limited to 60 per cent.

According to Fadillah, among the measures taken to restrict the movement of construction workers included ensuring that all employees at the construction sites undergo COVID-19 screenings before starting work and they are not allowed to move from one construction site to another location.

"The Public Works Department urges all construction industry players to comply with the latest standard operating procedure (SOP) to curb the spread of COVID-19," he said.

Fadillah said details of the conditions and types of work allowed are clearly stated in the construction cector SOP and can be downloaded at www.cidb.gov.my.

-- BERNAMA