Conduct COVID Screening or Lose PLKS Renewal, Employers Told

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan said employers that fail to conduct screening tests on their foreign employees for COVID-19 by Feb 28 will not be able to renew their temporary working permits (PLKS).

According to him, employers who cover the cost of their foreign workers' COVID-19 screenings will receive tax exemptions for payments made for the tests. It also works as an incentive for employers. 

Saravanan pressed employers to take immediate action on managing screening tests on their foreign workers because of the rampant workplace-related Covid-19 clusters. He cited Section 11 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

He stated that employers should be aware that it is mandatory to make sure their foreign workers undergo the screening tests to stop the spread of the pandemic. 

Employers are urged to conduct COVID-19 screenings on their foreign workers.

"Therefore, for any employer who fails to do Covid-19 screening tests on their foreign workers by Feb 28, 2021, their foreign workers' temporary working permits (PLKS) will not be renewed," he announced in a statement yesterday.

Saravanan added that the Labour Department's operations also found numerous employers had failed to comply with the government order requiring all foreign workers to undergo Covid-19 screenings.

In December last year, the minister announced that all employers are obligated to ensure their foreign workers undergo the Covid-19 screening test. He noted that the employers would have to bear the cost of the screening test. 

Covid-19 screening programme for foreign workers goes nationwide

In January this year, Saravanan announced the nationwide extension of the Covid-19 screening programme for foreign workers. 

Following the implementation of the movement control order and Permai assistance package's announcement, the minister said Social Security Organisation (Socso) had extended the programme beyond the initial six states and territories.

Socso, which executed the programme, had allotted an additional RM54mil for the extended screening. The screening will use the Antigen Rapid Test kits (RTK-Ag). Socso will cover the kits' costs.

Employers will only need to pay charges imposed by the clinic or hospital. However, if the foreign workers are not Socso contributors, then the employer will need to bear the total screening cost.

The mandatory Covid-19 screening of foreign workers started on Jan 1.

The Human Resources Minister had said that the programme would focus on six high-risk states including Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Johor, Sabah and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

As for the other states, he said enforcement would take effect after February 2021.

Section 11 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342)

Section 11(1) provides that if the Health Minister is convinced that there is an outbreak of an infectious disease in an area of the country, the Minister can declare such area to be an infectious local area.  

It also allows the Minister to prescribe the steps to be taken to manage or prevent the spread of infectious disease within or from an infected area. These measures include directing any person or class or category of people to subject themselves to:

• treatment or immunisation;
• isolation, observation or surveillance; or
• any other steps considered to be necessary.

You can learn more about the screening programme and the list of the participating clinics at the PSP Portal. You may also contact them via email at [email protected] or call the hotline at 1-300-22-8000​ or 03-4264 5089.

Sources: The Star & The Edge Markets

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