No construction during MCO – ministry

KUALA LUMPUR: Construction work needs to be stopped during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period in the states involved, according to the Works Ministry.

However, exemptions will be given for work on the list of essential services including maintenance and critical repairs such as slope and road repairs; construction of major public infrastructure as well as building construction for projects that provide complete accommodation of workers on construction sites or Centralised Labour Quarters.

In addition, there will be exemptions for the operation of professional services/consultants as well as other services within the supply chain such as supply of building materials and delivery of materials, limited to construction sites approved for operation.

According to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the MCO issued by the ministry, all operating permits must be obtained from the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) through MITI’s Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) portal.

Employers must also stick to the operating hours set by local authorities.

In the meantime, the ministry stressed that construction workers are not allowed to move from one construction site to another, apart from the fact that they need to bring a valid employee pass or employer’s authorisation letter and MITI CIMS operation approval letter for any movement.

According to the FAQ, the project’s supervising officer is responsible for ensuring full compliance with standard operating procedures as well as controlling movements in and out of the construction site during the MCO period.

The ministry also said that Covid-19 screening is mandatory for all foreign workers as they have to undergo the Antigen Rapid Test Kit (RTK-Ag) tests even if they have done the Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) screening tests.

However, the frequency of the RTK-Ag screening test has not been set.

“For Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributors, employers only need to fund the cost of services charged by the clinic because the RTK-Ag test kit has been supplied by Socso to the panel clinic,” according to the FAQ.

For foreign workers who are not Socso contributors, the screening cost must be fully borne by the employer. - Bernama