The Govt is Subsidising Covid-19 Screening for Foreign Workers

According to the Human Resources Ministry, employers can now claim a subsidy of RM150 per Covid-19 screening undertaken by their employees under the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) Program Saringan Prihatin (PSP), which began on 1st June 2020.

The ministry also agreed to increase the number of Covid-19 screening service providers after a discussion with the Health Ministry and Works Ministry, according to minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.

The Human Resources Minister also said the foreign workers must be Sosco contributors.

“Under this subsidy programme, foreign workers in the construction and security services sectors in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur will be prioritised for the Covid-19 screening”, the minister said.

“This subsidy programme will utilise the previously approved RM200 million allocation from the government,” he added. He also said that companies can send their workers for tests at any clinics or hospitals approved by the health ministry.

“This is in line with the government’s recommendation to undertake targeted screening for high-risk workers to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission. For workers not in the target group, the cost of Covid-19 screening should be borne by the employer to prevent the outbreak among workers in the country,” he said.

Before, employers and business groups had requested the government to support the cost of testing foreign workers for Covid-19, stating that they had already been severely affected by the crisis and ensuing Movement Control Order (MCO).

It is compulsory for foreign workers to under screening for Covid-19.

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said it could cost companies over RM1 billion as there were more than two million legal foreign workers in Malaysia.

Since there was a spike in the number of foreign workers testing positive for Covid 19 in Ampang, the government made it mandatory for foreign workers across the country to undergo screening.

The procedure of the subsidy programme will be updated from time to time, with the latest information available at the Prihatin portal (https://prihatin.perkeso.gov.my).

• For enquiries, you may call PERKESO at 03- 4264 5555 / 03- 8091 5100 / 1-300-22-8000 or send an email to [email protected].
• To check ERP / PSU application and payment status, you may send an email to [email protected].
• To update existing PSU application, please send an email to [email protected].
• For any complaint or appeal regarding ERP / PSU application, you can send an email to [email protected].
• For any inquiry regarding PSP, please email [email protected].

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