KUANTAN | Employees affected by Covid-19 have been urged to lodge complaints with the relevant parties so that action can be taken to assist them, said Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
He said the assistance was not limited to those involved in the tourism sector but also to workers from other sectors affected by this new virus.
“It is important that those affected lodge complaints with the Labour Department or the Industrial Relations Department if it relates to breach of contract and so on, or they will be laid off as a result of Covid-19,” he told reporters after attending a town hall session with his ministry here today.
Mahfuz also hoped that if there was a need for employers to lay off workers because of Covid-19, they were encouraged to terminate foreign workers first.
On prioritising of local workers voiced by the participants at the town hall session, Mahfuz said currently the number of registered foreign workers in Malaysia was 1.9 million and did not exceed 15 per cent of the country’s labour force.
“However, we hope that all parties give priority to local workers to join the employment sector including taking up jobs in the 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) industries,” he said. — Bernama
