KUCHING: Datuk Wee Hong Seng agrees that employers should not only encourage workers but give them an additional day off to go for medical checkup.
The Kuching City South Council (MBKS) Mayor said what was suggested by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin that employers should give workers an extra day of leave to undergo health screening was a good idea.
“It is a brilliant idea. This is suitable in line with having a smart city, green city, it also needs healthy citizens,” he told New Sarawak Tribune when contacted recently.
Wee, who is also the Mental Health Association advisor, said being employers, they must have the responsibility of looking after the welfare of the staff including their health.
“Because no matter how intelligent or how good they are at the job, if they do not have good health, then they will not be able to carry out their duties.
“So getting a day off just to have their health checked, I think this is very reasonable,” he said.
He said going for a medical checkup means prevention or early detection of sickness, if any.
“It is better safe than sorry. So I think this is one thing that we encouraged all the bosses to make sure that they give time for their staff to go for the checkup,” he stressed.
Asked whether providing an additional day off for workers to go for medical checkup should be made mandatory, Wee viewed that can be done.
“I believe Khairy will look into the policies that will benefit everyone. As an elected people’s representative, they should be coming up with good policies and not about pointing fingers or politicking.
“Thus, what Khairy is doing is brilliant, and we trust that he will be able to do it because he has been trying a lot in bringing ideas and improvement in health matters.
“Khairy is on the right track and we hope we have more leaders like him,” he said,
For MBKS, Wee said the council too tries not to let staff work on weekends as not only they need time to rest but to have quality time with families.
“This is what I always tell my staff unless it’s necessary that they have to work on weekends or public holidays.
“After all, we are all human beings, there is a limit to our health and mental health. We cannot overstretch it,” he said.
