March 17, 2020, 01:00 PM
On Monday (Mar. 16) night, Malaysia announced a nationwide lockdown from Mar. 18 till 31.
All tourists and foreign visitors coming into Malaysia will barred from entry.
Malaysians are also barred from travelling abroad.
On Tuesday (Mar. 17) morning, Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said that the Singapore government is working to provide accommodation options for Malaysian workers stuck in Singapore due to the lockdown.
Encourage to stay with relatives, friends or colleagues
In a news release by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday (Mar. 17) afternoon, MOM stated that companies can encourage affected workers to stay with their relatives, friends or colleagues, who may be willing to accommodate them for a short period.
According to MOM, this may be the option "most amenable" to some workers.
Hotels, dormitories, rooms and properties available
However, MOM noted that there are workers who cannot stay with relatives, friends or colleagues.
For these workers, the Singapore government has worked with the private and public sectors to make a range of short-term housing options available for them.
Hotels or dormitories are currently available.
In addition, there are also HDB rooms and whole flats, as well as private residential properties.
MOM stated in its statement:
"We advise employers to assess their manpower needs carefully and make a considered decision as to whether they need their affected workers to remain in Singapore.
In providing assistance, we will prioritise the needs of firms that provide essential services such as healthcare, security, cleaning, waste management, facilities management, logistics and transport."
Financial support by the government
On top of the available accommodations, the government is looking into providing financial support for companies that need to urgently accommodate their affected workers.
The government will also be working with the hotel and dormitory providers on providing lower cost rentals.
More details will be given shortly.
Top image via Unsplash.
If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram to get the latest updates.