Niosh: No report, research showing M'sians will lose jobs due to Covid-19

CORONAVIRUS | There is no credible report or research indicating that some 100,000 Malaysians will lose their jobs if the Covid-19 situation continues until the end of the year.

National Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairperson Alice Lau Kiong Yieng (photo) said there was no issue of job loss as Malaysia was prepared and able to manage and control the spread of the Covid-19 infection.

“There is no issue about losing their jobs. Employers need to take initiative to provide employees with accurate information about Covid-19 so that they do not panic.

"The Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation (Aposho) annual conference also plays a role where it will discuss current issues among participants," she said after the soft launch of the Aposho35 Conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

She was commenting on reports citing the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) as predicting that the Covid-19 would spiral out of control.

Echoing Lau, the Human Resources Ministry deputy secretary-general Maniam Arumugam said the statement was just a prediction not backed up by any statistics.

“So far nobody reported (any job loss) to us. What you heard was not true,” he said.

Meanwhile, in her speech earlier, Lau said Aposho could play a role in addressing Covid-19 by strengthening and utilising existing networks and collaborations to help governments cope with this new situation.

Among others, Lau suggested Aposho work with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in providing the latest information relating to workers’ protection.

“Aposho members and health experts should help form an interim guideline to prevent new infections such as Covid-19. These guidelines should cover all types of occupations as well as plans for the transmission of more serious diseases,” she added.

The Aposho35 conference will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Aug 9-12 this year.

Themed ‘OSH Unity and Sustainability’, Aposho35 offers an excellent platform for professionals, policymakers and government officials to exchanges ideas, share experiences and initiatives in strengthening cooperation at the national, regional and global level.

- Bernama