The stages are pre-departure, arrival, post-arrival (quarantine period) and post-quarantine.

He said the foreign workers would be required to be fully vaccinated in their country of origin and enter Malaysia using a special lane when they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

These workers would then be quarantined at certified quarantine centres before being taken to their workplaces where employers must provide conducive accommodation as required under the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446).

Saravanan said the workers would undergo a 14-day quarantine and take the RT-PCR test on the first, third, fifth and seventh day before being transferred to their workplaces.

“These stages are crucial in ensuring the safe entry of foreign workers into the country,” he told reporters after the Certified Disability Management Professional graduation ceremony here today.

As for the entry of foreign domestic helpers, Saravanan said the SOPs were being studied by the ministry.

On Dec 8, Saravanan said Malaysia was expected to receive between 5,000 and 10,000 workers from Indonesia next year to work in the construction and manufacturing sectors, as well as domestic helpers.

Meanwhile, he said the Social Security Organisation (Socso) had received a total of 50,634 claims for temporary disability benefits and 32,275 invalidity applications in 2020, of which 5,503 individuals were confirmed to have suffered from invalidity.