KUCHING, Oct 19 2026: Minister in the Premier's Department John Sikie Tayai said stringent health screening conducted under Sarawak Foreign Health Information System (SAFHIS) has identified 497 foreign workers with Hepatitis B and 119 were tested positive for tuberculosis (TB).
He said the detection has prevented them from proceeding through the work authorisation process in the state.
"Early detection prevents disease transmission, shields Sarawak's public healthcare system from avoidable strain and treatment costs, and reinforces public confidence in key economic sectors such as hospitality, tourism, and food services," he said in his winding up speech in the State Legislative Assembly (SLA).
He said the state government has observed, however, that some employers delay sending newly arrived workers for screening until the final days of the 30-day grace period, which compromises early medical intervention.
"Our 30-day post-arrival medical examination mandate is not merely an administrative formality. It is our frontline biosecurity defence to protect the people of Sarawak from imported infectious and communicable diseases.
"The necessity of this strict time frame is proven by data from SAFHIS," Sikie said.
He said under the Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA) framework, a dedicated replacement mechanism allows any worker who fails the medical screening to be replaced within 60 days at no additional cost.
"Supported by our improved 40-to-43-day average application turnaround time, the 60-day cost-free replacement window is carefully calibrated to shield compliant employers from financial loss while preventing the misuse or indefinite dragging out of replacement quotas, ensuring statutory and public health obligations are upheld promptly," he said.
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