Only 3-5 percent of Westports employees working from home

 

Only three to five percent of overall Westports Holdings Bhd’s employees are allocated the work-from-home regime.

Group managing director Ruben Emir Gnanalingam Abdullah said only 10 percent of the port’s workforce is office-related and they are the ones that need social distance.

“The remaining 90 percent of employees work in isolation, handling machinery so there is no requirement to social distance when it comes to work tasks.

Westports have more than 5,000 staff across multiple disciplines.

“Nevertheless, we have tried to have as many of our colleagues work from home without affecting operations,” Ruben told Bernama today.

He said there has been no change for them as being an essential service, ports cannot be shut down as goods, especially essential goods, need to still move in and out of the country and also between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak.

Ruben was asked to comment following the National Security Council’s decision that essential goods delivery through airports and ports nationwide to their intended destinations must not be affected or hindered to ensure adequate supply.

The decision was lauded by the Transport Ministry, so much so that Minister Wee Ka Siong has instructed airport and port authorities and operators only to optimise their operational staffing levels to their respective needs to ensure that import and export activities are not adversely affected during the Movement Control Order 3.0 period in a statement issued yesterday.

“The ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that the movement of goods and cargo is not hindered and to reduce shocks to the market in general,” Wee said.

However, Wee reminded that all employees of airports and ports are to strictly comply with all required standard operating procedures including using hand sanitisers, wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, maintaining physical distancing, and checking in with MySejahtera QR codes where required.

On the economic front, Ruben backed Bank Negara Malaysia governor’s forecast of Malaysia’s gross domestic product growth, which is likely to remain in the range of 6 percent to 7.5 percent in 2021 and deemed it as achievable.

“In 2020, all economies were down. This year, all are rebounding,” said Ruben.

- Bernama