The government will consider allowing workers to go on leave to get their COVID-19 vaccine shots. Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he will bring the subject up to with the Human Resources Ministry to enable workers to make their vaccination appointment.
“Employers cannot stop workers from keeping their vaccination appointments,” he said. “Once an agreement is reached at the meeting, we will announce whether employers are encouraged or will it be compulsory for them to grant workers leave to meet their vaccination appointments,” he said at the weekly press conference on the progress of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said more than 150,000 foreign workers have yet to be screened for COVID-19 despit the government’s 31 March deadline. MEF CEO Datuk Shamsuddin Bardan said as of March 27, nearly 1.5 million legal workers have been screened for the virus. He said the federation hopes that the ruling on non-renewal of foreign workers’ passes will not be implemented, especially for the workers who could not get their screening done before the deadline.
