09.04.2020 (The Borneo Post) - KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal has urged oil palm plantations and companies to be patient for a while more for the government’s decision whether to allow them to operate.

He added that this was because the government wants to safeguard the people’s lives.

He reminded that profit should not take precedence over people’s lives, hence the government has adopted the stance of prevention.

He added that he had instructed the Sabah Health Department director, Datuk Dr Christina Rundi as well as the Royal Malaysia Police to carry out fact finding prior to coming to a decision whether the companies would be allowed to start operating.

“Fact finding will take time,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said that there was already a guideline and that if a company is allowed to operate, they will be needed to follow it.

And to ensure compliance, he said that patrols would be carried out.

Among the guidelines he mentioned are for the companies to ensure there are hand sanitizer and face masks in place for workers.

At the same time, he also said there must be a regular thermal check to ensure the health and safety of workers.

He reminded that there were six Covid-19 positive cases at Felda Sahabat and the likelihood of the workers of palm oil plantations to be in contact with other people outside of their establishment.

He cited that plantations would still have to send the fruits harvested to mills located quite a distance from where they are, for example.

“So, there is contact there,” he said.

He also said that there are 15,000 people at Felda Sahabat.

https://www.theborneopost.com/2020/04/09/be-patient-for-a-while-cm-tells-plantations-and-companies/