2020

Dear Friends of Malaysia,

Our government is committed to combating COVID-19 pandemic by channelling more than RM1.7 billion to 14 ministries and state governments since February.

The Health Ministry (MoH) has also allocated an additional RM44 million to strengthen the state front line workers in Sabah including providing personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies and equipment such as hospital beds as well as ventilators.

Besides, RM50 million has been approved by the government to the National Security Council (NSC) for emergencies preparedness in tackling the rising number of the pandemic. Our government has also reactivated the MoH COVID-19 Fund on October 16 to facilitate the people who want to make cash contributions voluntarily.

Meanwhile, The Sungai Buloh Health Ministry Training Institute (ILKKM) and National Leprosy Control Centre have been reactivated as COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-risk Treatment Centres (PKRC) following the drastic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Selangor.

Starting October 22, employees in the private and public sectors, at the management and supervisory levels, in the areas of Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan which are under the enforced Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), have been directed to work from home.

This latest government directive will affect more than one million workers, including 776,135 workers in the industrial sector as The International Trade and Industry Ministry has agreed to allow a maximum of 10 per cent workers of those in management and supervisory posts to come to work for a limited time.

Those working on the accounting, finance, administration, legal, planning as well as information and communications technology (ICT) will be allowed to be in the office for four hours starting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for three days a week.

Civil servants working in the affected CMCO areas, on the other hand, are allowed to come to work for a maximum capacity of 30 per cent with all meetings, discussion and training need to be held online.

Employees living in the areas under COVID-19 red zones must undergo COVID-19 swab tests, and the cost incurred will be borne if the employers register and contribute to the Social Security Organisation (Socso).

As of October 21, Malaysia recorded 732 new cases of COVID-19, totalling 22,957 cases nationwide whereas the total recovery rate is at 65.04%. The total deaths are 199 cases or 0.87% of the confirmed cases.