KUALA LUMPUR (July 6): Hartalega Holdings Bhd has initiated a full shutdown of all its glove manufacturing facilities in Bestari Jaya and Sepang, due to the enforcement of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Selangor.  

The group said this in a written reply to The Edge this evening, hours after Top Glove Corp Bhd announced a similar closure of its glove factories in Klang.

“Regrettably, this will have a significant impact on both the local and international healthcare value chain in terms of disruption to availability of supply, as Hartalega is a key manufacturer of nitrile gloves for hospitals globally,” the group said. 

Hartalega, however, did not specify the timeline of the temporary closure of its manufacturing facilities.  

Top Glove, in an earlier email reply to The Edge, said it is temporarily halting the operations of its medical glove factories in Klang, following the imposition of EMCO in the district. 

The world’s largest glove manufacturer said it is awaiting clarification from the National Security Council (MKN) on the matter, but did not elaborate. 

Shares in Hartalega closed five sen or 0.71% higher at RM7.06 today, giving it a market capitalisation of RM24.20 billion. Year to date, the stock has dropped by 32.63%. 

Top Glove ended one sen or 0.25% lower at RM3.94 today, valuing the group at RM32.33 billion. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has fallen by 28.36%.