KUCHING: The decision by the federal government to consider allowing companies to resume full operations if all their workers had been fully vaccinated was a welcome news to the Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS).
Its president Datuk Abang Helmi Ikhwan said the move, when done in tandem with the nationwide vaccine rollout, would ensure a swift reopening of the economy.
“I fully agree with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s decision to allow companies to operate fully if all their workers have completed two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines.
“This will help to open up the economy quickly to ease unemployment and is good for business without being hampered by the standard operating procedures and red tapes,” he pointed out.
Abang Helmi urged companies and factories with many employees to send all of them for vaccinations.
“However, since most of our members have small operations, the arrangement of using our premises as vaccination centres may not suit us.
“Thus, we encourage our bigger members to initiate the use of their premises as vaccination centres and allow the smaller members to join in,” he added.
Asked whether the government has enough manpower to send health workers to premises statewide for the employees’ vaccinations, Abang Helmi said the recruitment of volunteers should be done by the government.
Recently, the prime minister said the federal government was ready to allow companies to resume full operations provided that all their employees have been fully vaccinated.
“The Ministry of International Trade and Industry is coordinating the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme as an incentive for companies and industries to use their premises as vaccination centres and conduct immunisation programmes for employees.
“The government will be supplying the vaccines while the companies or factories will make the logistical arrangements,” Muhyiddin added.
