Jail for employers who do not get their foreign workers vaccinated: minister

 

Employers who fail to ensure that their foreign workers residing in company-provided accommodations are vaccinated against Covid-19 risk facing jail terms.

Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said these employers can be charged for breaching the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 446) and could face up to three years imprisonment and a maximum fine of RM200,000.

"We advise all the employers to get their migrant workers vaccinated at the public hospitals when the National Immunisation Programme is implemented," he told a virtual press conference today.

The press conference was to brief the media on the formulation of the Emergency Ordinance for the act which had been gazetted yesterday.

Saravanan said the ordinance was to tackle the surge in Covid-19 clusters among migrant workers.

"Employers who fail to ensure their migrant workers or workers who reside at their accommodations receive the vaccination commit a crime under Act 446," he said.

Migrant workers - especially those at construction sites and factories - have made up some of the largest Covid-19 infection clusters in Malaysia to date.

Covid-19 outbreaks had also been detected at immigration detention centres where undocumented migrants are held.

The government had initially requested employers to bear all immunisation costs of their migrant workers but the cabinet later decided to provide free Covid-19 vaccine for all in the country, non-citizens included.

The latter will include diplomats, expatriates, students, foreign spouses and children, foreign workers as well as UN High Commissioner for Refugees card holders.

The country currently has up to 1.7 million documented migrant workers. - Mkini