THE Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia (PKMM) has welcomed the reopening of the country’s economy through the introduction of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), said its president Datuk Seri Muhamed Fadzill Hassan.
According to him, the temporary suspension of economic activities since March 18 with the introduction of the MCO by the government had impacted the income of small contractors such as those at the G1 and G2 levels.
He said contractors in the construction sector relied heavily on the supply chain of construction materials and other services such as engineering, to complete their work.
“So when some of these supply chains are unable to operate (due to MCO), it will hinder the entire process of the sector. Work which is not complete, will not be paid.
“As operating costs such as workers’ salaries, utility bills and others need to be paid, it will squeeze the business,” he said during BNC Bernama’s “Ruang Bicara” talk show.
He added that the refusal of several states to relax the MCO will hamper the sector as some materials needed by contractors could only be sourced from the respective states.
Muhamed Fudzail said, even with the approval to operate again, the contractors would still need another one or two weeks before they can properly resume their work, subject to terms and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) set by the authority.
“As we know, Covid-19 will not pass us quickly, but we must see the hardship suffered by our workers who have lost their income and this could invite other social problems.
“We have signed an agreement on the SOP with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (on the resumption of the sector) which must be complied with fully,” he said.
Touching on the SOP, there was some confusion about the matter, especially on which SOPs the contractor should obey.
According to Muhamed Fudzail, the construction sector must comply with the SOP issued by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). — May 5, 2020, Bernama
