The Singaporean government refused to listen to the NGOs that forewarned them. Rights groups including Transient Workers Count Too had warned about the cramped living conditions. It was a problem the government overlooked as Singapore was then riding high, lauded worldwide as having set the “gold standard” in its response to the pandemic. Looks like Malaysia is falling into the same trap.
Malaysia has 1.99 million foreign workers registered under the Temporary Visiting Work Permit as of Aug 31, 2019. The Immigration Department’s statistics reported that the manufacturing sector employed the highest number of foreign labour (706,502), followed by construction (429,552), plantation (268,203), agriculture (150,003), and domestic maids (130,450).
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said there could additionally be up to 3.3 million undocumented foreign workers.
As of April 2020, 14,187 migrant workers had been tested for Covid-19, with 676 (4.8 percent) positive cases. In May, Malaysia confirmed 6,535 cases and less than 1,000 (15.4 percent) of them were among migrants. During the same period, Singapore, which has 2.5 million legal migrants, had registered 21,000 Covid-19 cases mainly among its migrant workers.
The migrant labour market has helped to boost the Malaysian economy which has until recently been severely disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In its bid to reboot the economy, the health and wellbeing of the migrant labour workforce are being challenged due to their vulnerable circumstances.
This includes their poor living conditions, overcrowding, poor ventilation and sanitation, with poor access to health or social welfare services. Apart from negatively impacting our economic growth, this poses a major health and security risk to the wider Malaysian population.
We should address this urgently, strategically, and compassionately to avoid a repeat of what happened in Singapore, which suffered a second wave of Covid infections from its dormitory cluster.
The following are some steps for the National Security Council (NSC) to consider in its whole of government approach towards this multi-faceted problem:
1. Close collaboration among the major players namely, ministries, government agencies, international agencies (IOM, UNHCR, WHO), NGOs and CSOs.
2. This collaboration should be coordinated by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
3. There should be a moratorium on the arrest and detention of migrants for immigration-related offences during this pandemic.
4. This amnesty should be extended to the industries employing undocumented foreign workers up until a date decided by the NSC. This tripartite partnership between the government, the private sector, and NGOs is pivotal to ensure an agreed framework of action to ensure a whole of society approach to mitigate outbreaks and foster understanding, cooperation, and camaraderie in the difficult days ahead.
5. In the short term, the private sector is expected to comply with measures that would mitigate the transmission of the coronavirus, namely, improving the ventilation of living and workspaces, better sanitation facilities, protective work-based “bubbles”, and the establishment of standby isolation quarters for those whose tests are pending. In the long term, a major improvement of their living conditions is imperative, moving away from congested, crowded, and poorly ventilated dormitories.
6. The tacit agreement on the moratorium must be honoured by all parties and informed to the foreign workers and related industries through the wide network of NGOs, CSOs, international agencies, embassies, and the press.
7. Many NGOs and CSOs have been long involved and have effectively outreached to the foreign worker community to protect their labour rights, health, and social wellbeing. They should be roped in as a bridge towards effective communication with this community. These include Tenaganita, Beyond Borders, Mapim, MSRI, Serantau (Indonesia), Our Journey, Ammpo (Philippines Domestic Workers), Pertim (for Indonesian domestic workers), and North-South Initiative.
8. Conduct better testing of foreign workers. With the Health Ministry leading, there is a need to agree on the best strategy for testing, namely a rapid diagnostic kit (RTK-Ag), which is practical, affordable, and readily available at the point of care (POC). 60 percent of Covid-19 spread occurs among people who show no symptoms.
Frequent testing is therefore needed to identify cases early as part of a test-trace-isolate-support (TTIS) rapid response. Testing every two weeks should be considered, preferably with RTK-Ag or pooled PCR. It is also important to undertake perimeter screening around hot spots to rapidly detect any spillover into the surrounding communities.
9. Tracking – most foreign workers have a smartphone. We need to empower the employers to mandate (as part of the amnesty bargain) that all their foreign workers download a tracking app, MySejahtera or SeLangkah. The latter allows for individual-level QR-code check-ins and check-outs. Posters must be made available at all entrances and exits at living quarters, workers transportation, workspaces, and shared common areas.
10. There should be isolation centres dedicated to pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic Covid-19 positive cases.
11. And/or consider designated facilities for controlled mixing to enhance herd immunity build-up.
12. Monitoring for the development of early complications through virtual consults and the availability of examination booths to check for the following vital signs namely; oxygen saturation monitoring, temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure.
13. Admission to dedicated hospitals for foreign workers with early complications.
14. Upon verification of status on testing, to allow “certification” to safely rejoin the labour workforce.
15. Education of foreign workers and their employers on Covid-19, with emphasis on early recognition of symptoms, early diagnosis and need for tracing, the essentials of care for patients and of their rights and responsibilities.
15. NGOs and CSOs need to continue their work with leaders of foreign worker communities towards capacity building and empowering their communities towards self-sustainability.
16. There is a need for translation of simple information and guides on Covid-19 in their mother tongues, if not already available.
17. A similar strategy may need to be adopted to address another high risk and vulnerable cluster, namely the refugees who number 175,000 strong. Most of them are located in the Klang Valley (150,000) with other large communities in Kedah, Penang, and Johor.
DR MUSA MOHD NORDIN is a paediatrician and chairperson of the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations advisory council. - Mkini
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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