Alhamdulillah, I am grateful to Allah SWT because with His permission and grace, I was able to be with the Malaysian Family to complete the Launching Ceremony of the Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2021-2025 (OSH-MP-25). The program was held in conjunction with Occupational Safety and Health Week 2021 and was implemented in accordance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the new norms.
My congratulations and congratulations to the organizing committee for successfully implementing this very meaningful program, to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all employees are always guaranteed. Since independence, the government has managed to continuously increase the average household income of Malaysian families. This success is supported by economic growth through the government’s efforts to plan for short, medium and long term growth. The continuity of this planning can be seen in the 12th Malaysia Plan which I presented on 27 September.
This rapid economic development is actually also supported by the workforce where their talents, skills and expertise drive progress and increase national income. Yet we must accept the fact that the world and the country are still facing the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only threatens public health, but also affects economic and social aspects. The COVID-19 pandemic also affected almost all aspects of employment. The spread of the virus in the workplace is one of the risks to occupational safety and health (or OSH), which requires the government, employers and employees to take steps to prevent the spread of the disease.
Going forward, we need to weather the increasingly competitive global environment as a result of this pandemic. It demands a drastic shift to new employment norms, such as working from home with increased online activity. Seen from a positive angle, this new scenario actually opens up a lot of opportunities for employees. The definition of a workplace will also become increasingly vague when employees are not necessarily in the office. Thus, more and more people will operate from home when most communications, meetings and financial transactions are done virtually.
What is worrying, these changes also expose employees to safety and health risks such as problems related to ergonomics, which among others are related to body posture when using computers or gadgets. Employees who are confined at home for too long are also prone to psychosocial problems especially mental stress and weakness of social interaction. This new situation requires the government to take affirmative action to ensure that a healthy, safe, and conducive work environment continues to be created.
The government’s commitment in protecting human resources is based on the principles of Inclusiveness and a Safe Work Culture. At the national level, the implementation of the long – term strategy of this OSH management system is in line with the 2006 International Labor Organization Convention. Among the important initiatives that have been introduced to improve the OSH management system are the National Occupational Safety and Health Policy 2019 and the National Occupational Safety and Health System.
To meet the challenge, the Ministry of Human Resources through the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (MNKKP) and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (JKKP) has drafted the Master Plan for Occupational Safety and Health 2021-2025 (or OSH-MP-25). This 5 -year Medium Term Master Plan is a continuation of the same plan before. It aims to inculcate inclusive values to encourage the participation of all parties, coinciding with the transformation of the OSH system throughout the country.
This Medium Term Plan outlines 7 Strategic Thrusts that drive the formation of a ‘Safe and Healthy Work Culture’ and help increase the Malaysian Well -Being Index, namely:
- The first thrust: OSH empowerment in the public sector,
- Second thrust: Strengthening the practice of self -regulation in the workplace,
- Third thrust: Promotion of OSH education & research,
- The fourth thrust: Empowering occupational health,
- Fifth Thrust: Improving KKP compliance in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector,
- The next thrust: Strengthening OSH through technology; and
- Last thrust: Improvement of road -related OSH – Work related Road Safety (WRRS), informal sector and future jobs.
This plan will improve the level of safety and health in the workplace by reducing the rate of accidents, deaths and infections, which in turn will help the government’s efforts to improve the well -being of the people. This plan is drafted after taking into account the current employment scenario that has changed. Today, the home space of every member of the Malaysian Family has become a work space. The same goes for cafes, outlets and restaurants. Therefore, the 7 Strategic Thrusts that adopt a safe work culture are very important for all of us to adhere to.
To everyone’s knowledge, the direct effect of the neglect of this OSH, the country can suffer a loss of 4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per year. However, the government’s priority is to prevent the loss of life of Malaysian family members. I would like to congratulate and congratulate the Ministry of Human Resources through the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (N-COSH) and DOSH, for successfully producing a complete and comprehensive document, in strengthening the OSH aspects of this country.
Each of us needs to perform our respective responsibilities and roles to ensure the success of this Master Plan, in line with the theme of OSH-MP-25: OSH Inclusive-Togetherness and Commitment. The commitment of all parties, including the government, employers and employees is highly expected to ensure that the mission to elevate OSH in the country is implemented successfully. Finally, in the words of BISMILLAHIRRAHMANIRRAHIM, I hereby launch the Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2021-2025 (OSH-MP-25).
