KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Labour Department (JTK) has inspected 618 hostels for construction site workers involving 5,140 employees under 142 employers.
State director Wan Zulkifli Wan Setapa said of the total number of construction site workers involved, 2,281 were locals while the rest were foreigners.
Since the enforcement of the Emergency Ordinance (Minimum Standards and Employee Facilities) Act 446 (Amendment) 2021 (EO 446) on Feb 26, employers had committed 876 offences.
"Among the offences include not applying for an accommodation certificate from the JTK and overcrowding with too many workers.
"Apart from that, the accommodation is not prepared according to specifications such as providing beds, pillows, blankets and bathrooms.
"However, we have issued recommendations to these employers," he said during a press conference after a joint operation on inspecting workers' hostels, near here.
Present were Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation minister Datuk Yakub Khan and Sabah Social Security Organisation (Socso) director Dr Mohd Ali Hindia.
Yakub added the inspections at two premises today showed that there were still many things that needed to be corrected by developers and contractors, especially in providing accommodation to all workers.
"It seems that there is a lot that needs to be corrected but today we did not issue any compounds but gave warnings and reprimanded certain developers.
"We will go back to the same locations after two weeks to ensure all parties concerned comply with all instructions issued," he said.