Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 26): Plantation associations are appealing to the Sabah government to extend more government resources to help smallholders located in remote areas of the state facilitate Covid-19 screenings for their workers.

In a joint statement, the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) and the Malaysian Estate Owners Association (MEOA) said there are currently 93 Social Security Organisation (Socso) approved swab testing service providers in Sabah and the associations were assured that the number of testing providers will be increased.

The two associations called on their members, who represent 43% of Sabah’s total oil palm planted area, to adhere to the new standard operating procedures in place and to conduct Covid-19 screenings to cover all of their workers and the larger community within their respective operations.

They urged planters to work closely with Health Ministry personnel and private swab testing service providers approved by Socso to accept the testing, as well as fully cooperate with risk assessments, demonstrating SOPs in place and providing isolation and quarantine facilities if needed.

The Sabah government announced yesterday that it and the industry there had reached an agreement to roll out a joint approach in curbing the spread of Covid-19 by implementing a voluntary 30-day lockdown in the plantation sectors to facilitate the mass screening of oil palm plantation workers in the state.

Daily plantation operations will continue amid strict compliance to the relevant SOPs. Upon detecting positive cases, plantations must immediately cease operations to mitigate disease spread, with reopening dependent on the Health Ministry’s risk assessments.

As a result, there is now restricted access into estates in the state, with strict SOPs in place for the movement of food, supplies and services. 

Mandatory social distancing and mask-wearing is required, with no social gatherings or other group activities allowed within the estates.

Both associations welcomed the move and noted that the Sabah government will enhance policing and have check-points where plantations are located to monitor movement controls.

“MPOA and MEOA will continue to offer their constructive participation with the authorities to starve the Covid-19 virus of its victims, by keeping all workers fully employed and secure under the state-assisted voluntary lockdowns during this period while the swab screening is being carried out.

“The Sabah state government and the relevant stakeholders should continue to be engaged in working together towards accelerating an end to our common adversary, while we continue to support the hardworking and diligent measures taken by the state to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in Sabah,” the associations said.

Edited ByS Kanagaraju
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