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Should 100% Of Vaccinated Workers In All Sectors Return To The Workplace? These Associations Say Yes

Should 100% Of Vaccinated Workers In All Sectors Return To The Workplace? These Associations Say Yes

Since Malaysia is transitioning to the endemic stages of the Covid-19 crisis, quotas and permits no longer made sense, they say.

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Industry stakeholders are making a case that fully vaccinated workers from private and public sectors should immediately be allowed to physically return to the workplace at 100% capacity.

In a joint statement addressed to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the National Security Council (MKN), industry players want workers to be able to go back to the office in order to kick-start the economy and save people’s livelihoods.

We would advocate that this is applicable for all sectors, without any distinction on whether any sectors are ‘essential’ or not, because of the very fact that if a particular sector exists, it is already playing an essential role in the eco-system and supply chain.

(Credit: REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng via Malay Mail)

They say that since the country was transitioning to the endemic stages of the Covid-19 crisis, there was no longer a need for quotas limiting the maximum number of workers allowed to be at the office or the need for employers to apply for special operating permits with the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MITI).

Those at work under their respective Vaccination Privileges should be exempted from the count of the existing maximum of 60% for Phase 1 and 80% for Phase 2 of total employees allowed to go back physically to work (according to the National Recovery Program).

The statement noted that it would be impossible for the government to have a comprehensive list of all economic activities operating in the country, and those left out would undoubtedly be stuck in the long process of attaining approvals to operate.

This will alleviate all the current backlog in applications and delays and uncertainties in approvals either from MITI or other authorities.

(Credit: Zinkevych_D via Envato Eliments)

The statement also points out how important your everyday blue and white-collar Malaysians were in our market-driven economy. See, us spending our money is basically what makes our domestic economy function.

It is very pertinent to note that employees contribute significantly to spending in the domestic economic systems especially for food and beverages which will create the much-needed multiplier effect for the overall rapid revival of our country’s economy.

They also advocated for workers in the public sector to return to work at 100% capacity to mirror the private sectors and get the economy going again.

The statement was signed by the coalition of 117 trade associations & chambers of commerce under Industries Unite (IU), the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK) Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Bumiputra Retailers Organisation (BRO), Malaysia REIT Managers Association (MRMA), Malaysian Association of Theme Park and Family Attractions (MATFA), and the Malaysian Association of Film Exhibitors (MAFE).


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