MIRI: The Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) has welcomed the state government’s decision of allowing entry of foreign workers to Sarawak starting next year.
However, it calls for this exercise to be run under sound and stringent risk-mitigation measures in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation.
In this respect, the association proposes for a proper quarantine centre to be set up in every division of Sarawak to house the house the arriving foreign workers as they undergo testing and also the compulsory quarantine, as a measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“Perhaps, it would be better to have a quarantine centre in each division, where the health inspectors could monitor (the foreign workers) closely.
“Oil palm smallholders could also have their workers undergo quarantine at these centres too,” said Doppa secretary Incham Serdin.
On Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas who is also the chairman of Sarawak Disaster Management Committee ( SDMC), announced that the committee had decided to allow recruitment of foreign workers to Sarawak, effective this Jan 1.
The move was meant to reduce the number of illegal foreign workers sneaking into Sraawak via ‘jalan tikus’ (illegal routes).
Adding on, Incham said Doppa welcomed the move.
“It is good to allow foreign workers in again.
“Still, the SDMC must ensure that the companies (hiring foreign workers) really have the proper SOP (standard operating procedures) and the facilities for quarantine.
“The main concern is the workers might have been infected on their way to the entry points, as the SOP might be non -existent in their country of origin,” he added.