PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) has expressed support for the implementation of stricter Movement Control Order (MCO) to flatten the curve of new infections particularly in Selangor which recently recorded more than 1,000 new cases per day.
However, its president Dato’ Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman JP urged the authorities not to implement full lock down of the economy as such intervention would further stifle economic recovery.
“We are very concerned by the increasing rate of daily infections in Malaysia which exceeded 4,800 new cases on Tuesday with Selangor leading the tally with 1,743 new cases,” she said in a statement today.
“While the impact of a blanket MCO would be devastating to business and the economy, it is understood that there is a dire need to curb the rising number of new daily Covid-19 infections.
“Any decisions towards this end must also take into consideration the interest of business and preservation of livelihoods.”
He said the current nationwide MCO is estimated to cost about RM300 million per day whereas during the MCO 1.0total lockdown, Malaysia lost about RM 2.4 billion per day.
“As responsible employers and citizens, we are doing our utmost to comply with the prescribed SOPs to curb the spread of Covid-19,” Syed Hussain said.
“Employers need to play a positive role to ensure that the health and safety of employees are safeguarded.
“MEF continually advises our members to take all the necessary precautions so that we would be able to see the end of this pandemic.”
