Sick of it

Frequent medical screenings needed to control contagious diseases, says Zahid

DPM: More frequent health checks for foreign workers to prevent contagious diseases from being brought into the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign workers will have to undergo more frequent health screenings from next year in a move to stem contagious diseases from being brought into the country.

Foreign workers will also have to undergo medical screening within 30 days of arriving in Malaysia.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the screening needed to be conducted as often as possible to prevent contagious diseases from being brought into the country.

“The extra health screenings, on top of the current once-a-year check, are vital.

“All workers will have to undergo a full health screening once in two years and for up to 10 years – the maximum time frame a worker can be employed here,” he said in a written press statement issued by his ministry before chairing the Cabinet Committee Meeting on Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigrants on Thursday.

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said the Government had agreed in principle to progressively increase the levy on foreign workers from 2019 to discourage local employers from depending on foreign workers.

He said the progressive levy increase was to encourage employers to hire more Malaysians and to create a more conducive and competitive working environment that would attract locals.

“Since local companies have a tendency to recruit foreign workers owing to lower costs, the progressive levy will depend on the number of foreign workers and will be implemented in 2019.

“The mechanism will be formulated after we meet all the stakeholders,” Dr Ahmad Zahid said.

He also said that based on statistics as of July 31 this year, there were about 1.75 million legal foreign workers compared with 2.13 million in December 2015.

The meeting also discussed improving the working environment for workers and their salary scales; a pioneer project to allow Rohingya with UNHCR refugee cards to work in Malaysia.