Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (April 2): Kuala Lumpur-Kepong Bhd (KLK) is joining the chorus of appeals by plantation companies to the Sabah Government to allow palm oil operations in six areas to resume in the State.

The planter explained that the industry already operates in an open environment with workers working in large fields, where physical distancing can be enforced and is the norm.

“In addition, estate management has full control over its premises which could further assist the State Government in enforcing the movement control order (MCO),” it said in a statement.

In its statement, KLK said its workers are starting to get restless. Should such workers remain idle for a prolonged period of time, they may start to congregate to overcome their boredom and ignore social distancing practices.

KLK added that it would also be more difficult for it to convince such workers to stay if they seek better opportunities during the closure of operations.

“This could potentially create a sea of drifting unemployed workers that could defeat the whole purpose of the MCO and expose the wider community to a higher risk of COVID-19 infection,” it said.

It also highlighted that it has put in place measures such as visitor restrictions (except for those on official business and conducting body temperature checks), daily healthy and body temperature monitoring and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, soaps and hand sanitisers.

At the same time, it is also disinfecting all the common areas of its plantations, while educating its workers on preventative measures with multilingual posters and videos on how to combat the virus.

Moreover, medical facilities such as clinics are manned by medical assistants, with standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place to ensure compliance with MCO regulations should any member staff be infected.

The Sabah Government has closed down palm oil operations six areas - Kalabakan, Semporna, Kunak, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Kinabatangan –  until April 14 in order to halt the spread of COVID-19.

On the heels of this, plantation giants FGV Holdings Bhd, Wilmar International Ltd and Sime Darby Plantation Bhd have appealed to the Sabah State Government to reopen the areas for critical operations.

According to the Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) and Malaysian Estate Owners Association (MEOA), the closure of these six areas is significant as they constitute 75% of palm oil production in the State, which is the biggest palm oil producer in the country.

Shares in KLK closed 0.48% or 10 sen higher at RM20.60, valuing it at some RM22.22 billion. It saw 551,200 shares traded.

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