Page 148 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

enforcing the Act 446 since 1st September 2020 to ensure employers
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provide their foreign employees' accommodation meeting the minimum
space requirement and basic housing facilities assuring their safety and
hygiene. Any employer failing to comply with these regulations would be
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fined RM 50,000 per worker . However, it was reported that approximately
1.4 million or 91.1% of foreign workers in Malaysia stayed in
accommodations that did not comply with the provisions under the Act
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446 , indicating a lack of cooperation and compliance from the employers
in supporting the government’s efforts in curbing the COVID-19 spread
among foreign workers. Only 143,587 applications for a certificate of
accommodation, accounting for about 8.89% of the 1.6 million registered
foreign workers in Malaysia, have been received by the government as of
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31st October 2020 . The certificate of accommodation will be a
prerequisite for employers who intend to hire new foreign workers,
effective from 1st July 2021.

Figure 6.15: Compliance with ACT 446 among employers
Figure 6.15: Compliance with Act 446 among employers
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(Source: www.theedgemarkets.com
(Source: www.theedgemarkets.com ) )
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112 STRIKING THE BALANCE BETWEEN ECONOMY AND HEALTH