An advisory group for the industries said the fortnightly tests will be burdensome, especially for those in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The fortnightly RTK Antigen tests for all factory workers were introduced in the middle of this month.

In a statement, the Penang Manufacturing Industry Advisory Council said the government, through the Social Security Organisation (Socso), should subsidise the cost of the tests if it wants to continue with the present arrangement.

It said pooled procurement of the test kits may also help to ensure adequate supply, given the increasing demand from the community and the cost involved.

The council also proposed that the tests be exempt for those with a workforce that is fully vaccinated and manufacturing factories with an 80% and above vaccination rate.

It said the government should set a date for the mandatory tests to end in tandem with the rising and falling of cases and taking into account ICU-related cases.

The council also proposed that after the industry vaccination centres have completed their programmes, they should be allowed to continue operating to vaccinate others.

The council is led by the Penang chief minister as part of a joint effort between the state and the industry associations, comprising the Association of Malaysian Medical Industries, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, the Free Industrial Zone Penang Companies’ Association, and Samenta, an association representing SMEs.

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