FT minister Annuar Musa said the requirement was to ensure that these workers would not be living in overcrowded kongsi houses, as part of the government’s efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 among foreign workers in the federal territories.

“We make this condition mandatory but it will be implemented in stages as several centralised labour quarters will need to be provided,” he told reporters here after a constituency event in Bukit Marak. Annuar is MP for Ketereh.

Annuar said his ministry had so far identified five locations in Kuala Lumpur for the central labour quarters.

One location is near Selayang wholesale market, with an area of between 0.6ha and 1.6ha, and one in Precinct 20, Putrajaya, with an area of 10.1ha which could accommodate a total of 20,000 to 40,000 foreign workers.

He said the ministry would enhance coordination with local authorities and the human resources ministry to determine the number of foreign workers at construction sites.

“The federal territories ministry issues the project approval licence while the human resources ministry issues the work permits but sometimes, there is no coordination because we don’t know who are those who will be coming to work as it’s not the responsibility of Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

“Then they (foreign workers) come and are placed at crowded construction sites and there is no doubt any more over the spread of Covid-19 at the construction sites,” he added.

Annuar also urged residents’ associations in housing areas to raise awareness about the need to adhere to Covid-19 prevention rules especially after relaxation of restrictions on night markets, hair salons and barber shops, and in view of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

He said the federal territories, particularly Kuala Lumpur, had high population density and Covid-19 infections could spread quickly.