PETALING JAYA | Malaysians believe that self-lockdown is difficult to do so as many employers still require their employees to be physically present at work.

On Facebook, Candy Yee wondered how an individual is able to practice self-lockdown when employers are forcing their employees to be at the office.

“We are also super worried and also want to self-lockdown but we need to cari makan (earn a living). The employer’s instruction, we need to follow. They even force us to take annual leave if we want to work from home. We are getting bullied like that.

“Will the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) or Human Resources Ministry step in to help the employees?” she asked.

Pavitra Rajo also shared the same sentiments.

“How to self-lockdown when 60% need to attend work?

“The reduction of the transportation frequency is also causing congestion during peak hours.

“How to reduce (the cases) if this is the situation with (Covid-19) even being airborne, ” she said.

Ally Leong also said it was impossible for a self-lockdown as people needed to go to work.

However, Benny Tuan said to break the chain of infection, public activities have to be completely halted.

Unless this is being done, Tan said there was a huge chance that people would still potentially bring back the virus home.

Tom Ng suggested for Miti and the police to monitor offices and factories to check on whether employers were complying with the 60% work in office regulation.

“Enforcement is very important, ” he said.

On Wednesday, the country even recorded the highest number of new cases with 7,478 and the most deaths with 63.

On May 22, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the newly tightened SOP for the country amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis.

The Senior Minister (Security) said the government had decided that 80% of government staff and 40% of the private sector will work from home The government has decided that 80% of government staff and 40% of the private sector will work from home.

He said that this measure, which will involve 750,000 government staff and about 6.1 million private-sector workers, will start from May 25.

Martin Tan Abdullah said the government has to provide financial assistance for people to self-lockdown.

With this, she said people would then be able to “stay at home”.

Meanwhile, Marry Ng believed that speeding up the vaccination rate is the only way to break the chain of infection.

Francis Lau also agreed that there was a need to speed up the vaccination rates.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah recently urged the public to practice self-lockdown at home as a temporary measure to break the chain of infection due to the increase of sporadic cases in the community.

He said with the community movements and contact with other individuals, there is a higher probability for the virus to spread and infect.

 

 

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