THE Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has appealed to the Government to immediately move into Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) to prevent permanent and irreversible damage to business and the economy.
As it is, the manufacturing sector is already severely impacted by business closures of non-essential sectors and the reduced capacity operations of the essential sectors.
“The previous announcement that Phase 1 of the NRP has been extended indefinitely until the three key conditions have been met has sent most industries into a greater level of panic and anxiety on the future of their business viability,” opines FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai.
In addition to the urgent review of the NRP and other critical actions to a faster transition to Phase 2, FMM also calls for specific actions for areas that have been put under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), namely:
- To mass test everyone including foreign workers and undocumented foreign workers. Confirmed vaccination appointments for all under the National Immunisation Programme (PICK) and Program Imunisasi Industri COVID-19 Kerjasama Awam. Swasta (PIKAS) need to be prioritised. Companies with MITI SIMS approval should also be allowed to continue operating at 10% capacity under the EMCO.
- Accelerate and expedite PICK including the immunisation of the economic sectors via PIKAS through the facilitation of mobile clinics through mobile trucks/buses apart from the current Common Use Pusat Pemberian Vaksin (PPVs) and on-site PPV facilities, and to prioritise PIKAS for the high-risk states/areas especially the Klang Valley;
- To allow a parallel vaccination programme by private hospitals and clinics and for the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to accept WHO-approved vaccines without imposing additional requirements at the national level to expedite the vaccination process;
- If the delivery of vaccine is a constraint, the current threshold of at least 10% to be fully vaccinated should be reviewed to 10% with at least one vaccine dose while setting a minimum threshold within each company so that companies can be allowed to operate and/or increase capacity;
- Companies that opt for private immunisation should be allowed to claim the cost from their HRD levy and be allowed for tax deduction where applicable. There is also the need to fix a ceiling price for the private immunisation depending on the cost of the vaccine to avoid profiteering;
- To increase the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity instead of waiting for the ICU bed use to reduce to moderate levels;
- To continue with mass testing of the general public while waiting for the immunisation to be completed;
- To have a comprehensive strategy for vaccination of undocumented foreign workers as they will pose a threat to the attainment of herd immunity if unvaccinated; and
- To have a comprehensive strategy and action plans to address the likely shift of the COVID-19 pandemic to an endemic and how the population will have to ‘live with it’. – July 2, 2021
