KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — ADT Biotech Sdn Bhd has received the Health Ministry’s (MoH) approval to supply the LyteStar 2019-nCoV RT-PCR test kit to MoH facilities which have been tasked to run tests for the Covid-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2.

Managing director Dr Finn Zedler said the test kit has been certified by the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) as its results were consistent with the IMR’s tests and is in line with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.

“We are proud that our product has met the IMR’s requirements and approved by the MoH, and we are in the midst of boosting our production capacity,” he said.

ADT Biotech, a BioNexus-status company under the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (Bioeconomy Corporation), has developed the easy-to-use test kit specifically to meet the routine diagnostic screening needs.

Zedler said the company’s achievement was made possible with the help and support from the Bioeconomy Corporation, especially in roping in relevant parties in marketing the test kit and other ADT products in Malaysia and the region.

“The technology behind the test kit is based on a specific gene sequence unique to the targeted pathogen,” he said, adding that the test kit has also been sent to countries such as South Korea, India and Thailand, and orders have also been received from as far as Europe. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission rejected social media messages telling Malaysians to contact the agency if they do not receive aid payments from the government.

On Friday, the government announced a stimulus package over the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) that included various forms of assistance for those affected by the pandemic and ensuing movement control order.

“The MACC denies claims purporting that the public must call the agency’s toll free hotline in the event they do not receive their allocation of government assistance, as was shared on WhatsApp and other social media platforms,” the commission said in a statement today.

The MACC added that it has not released any public statement on this matter.

Aid payments under the Prihatin stimulus package will be paid out starting April 1 and entitlements vary according to households’ income levels and economic participation.

Di saat pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan seharusnya sebagai pengguna mestilah mempunyai sikap bertanggungjawab terutama sekali ketika berada di luar untuk membeli barang keperluan dapur.

Malah penjual atau peniaga juga sudah tentu mahu memastikan bekalan sentiasa mencukupi untuk menampung keperluan semua orang.

Dan jika masih ada yang tidak memberi kerjasama untuk tetap berada di rumah dan tidak perlu keluar kalau tiada urusan yang penting sudah pasti kerajaan akan melanjutkan lagi perintah kawalan ini kerana gagal memutuskan rantaian Covid-19.

Maka amat wajar ketika keluar membeli barang keperluan, orang ramai seharusnya mengamalkan kebersihan terutama sekali jika perlu berada di tempat orang ramai dan janganlah sampai memudaratkan orang lain dengan tindakan diri sendiri.

Berdasarkan perkongsian di Facebook, di Pennsylvania sebuah pasaraya terpaksa membuang semua stok makanan selepas seorang daripada pelanggan mereka batuk dengan sengaja di atas permukaan bahagian makanan, tempat daging mentah dan bahagian bakeri.

Hal ini menyebabkan pasaraya tersebut mengalami kerugian lebih RM149,208.

Pihak pasaraya terpaksa mengambil langkah keselamatan dengan membuang kesemua stok makanan tersebut dan melakukan kerja-kerja pembasmian kuman.

Walaupun mereka tak tahu sama ada pelanggan tersebut merupakan pesakit Covid-19 atau tidak namun sebagai langkah berjaga-jaga mereka terpaksa juga membuang stok makanan tersebut.

Tindakan orang tidak bertanggungjawab ini mencetuskan panik dalam kalangan penduduk setempat.

Mereka menyangka stok makanan di pasaraya tersebut dah habis.

Selepas kerja-kerja pembasmian kuman dilakukan, staf pasaraya tersebut meletakkan semula stok makanan yang baharu ke tempat rak-rak yang telah dikosongkan itu.

Kejadian seperti ini bukanlah sesuatu yang boleh dijadikan bahan lawak dalam keadaan yang kritikal.

Orang ramai dinasihatkan untuk memberi kerjasama agar dapat memutuskan rantaian wabak Covid-19 yang semakin meningkat di seluruh dunia.

Ketika ini Pennsylvania sudah mencatatkan 1,260 kes positif Covid-19.

Anda ada berita menarik untuk dikongsi? Sila email ke fmtohsem@freemalaysiatoday.com

PETALING JAYA: NGOs directly involved in providing aid to frontliners and needy groups have voiced concern over the government’s move to bar them from delivering during the movement control order (MCO).

Speaking to FMT, A Ravendiran Arjunan, the president of the Malaysian Association of Indian University Graduates, said he was afraid the government’s new ruling might lead to wastage and delays.

The new ruling requires NGOs to send food and aid to collection points run by the Welfare Department before they are distributed by Rela or Civil Defence Force.

Ravendiran, whose NGO has been working with Yayasan MyNadi and Hindu Dharmamamandharam to send food to three public hospitals daily, says coordination will become a problem.

“We supply food to the frontliners, according to their dietary requirements, whether it is halal food or vegetarian food.

“Before this, we worked directly with the hospitals. They tell us their needs and we send the food to the respective hospital operations room.”

In their case, if the hospitals on a certain day state they have sufficient supply from other donors, they would not ask for food.

He said without proper coordination, people may be donating more than what is needed and this could lead to wastage.

His organisation, Ravendiran said, receives donations from the public and these are used to purchase food from suppliers. They then collect the food and distribute them.

“So freshness will now be another concern. How fast can the government redistribute the food? In our case, if we have to deliver food to the hospital in Klang, we order the food from Klang.”

He also said he was worried about not being able to let donors know when the food they sponsored would reach the intended groups.

Now, he said, they would send pictures of deliveries to donors so that they know their money had been really spent on charity.

Klima Action Malaysia (Kamy) chairman Ili Nadiah Dzulfakar, whose organisation helps the Orang Asli, said they were not affected by the new ruling but disagreed with it.

In the case of Kamy, Nadiah said that they worked directly with the Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) to distribute dry food and sanitary items which are enough for a family for up to three weeks.

“Jakoa has informed us that no outsiders are allowed to come into contact with the Orang Asli to keep them safe from the virus,” she said, adding this was not a problem for them as they have been dealing with Jakoa regularly.

She disagreed with the government’s new ruling because in some communities, like refugees, the authorities did not have the same rapport with the community members.

“Many of the people who need help, like refugees, fear the authorities. If these communities are not taken care of, you will have bigger problems later.

“The government should have consulted the people on the ground. I hope they review this ruling and get NGOs on board.”

Joe Yap, who was helping to deliver food and medical supplies directly to poor homes and hospitals says she is not sure what she will do now.

“I still have supplies with me to deliver. My main concern is making sure the supplies reach those who really need them.

“I am also worried whether the government has sufficient manpower to deliver the goods.

“The NGOs and volunteers can help mobilise the aid. These NGOs have been on the ground and know those who need help well.”

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KUANTAN, March 29 — The Regent of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah expressed his gratitude and appreciation to frontliners involved in addressing the Covid-19 outbreak in the country on his Instagram social page.

A seven-minute video, which was uploaded on the account, this.7, and recorded in Pekan near here, is an initiative by Tengku Hassanal, who is overwhelmed by the sacrifices of the health and security members for working tirelessly in these tiring times.

The start of the video saw Tengku Hassanal, clad in military attire, standing in front of a huge board with words, “Frontliners,” “Thank You,” “Stay Home,” “Terima Kasih” and “Duduk Rumah” on it.

“I wish to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all the frontliners on duty in all hospitals. You are indeed brave.

“I also pray for everyone (to) take care of their own health so that Covid-19 can be eliminated and thousands of lives saved. Thanks again, ‘frontliners,’” he said.

Besides the video recording, Tengku Hassanal, also uploaded several images of doctors and nurses at work in hospitals and that of the security members mounting road blocks with the enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Meanwhile, the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah uploaded still images from Tengku Hassanal’s video onto Her Majesty’s Instagram at airtangan_tunkuazizah with the caption “I miss my son.”

Tunku Azizah and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah are in quarantine for 14 days since last Thursday, after seven staff of the Istana Negara were confirmed Covid-19 positive cases.

His Majesty had undergone health screening and found negative with the virus. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — Malaysia’s Top Glove Corporation Bhd, which makes one in every five gloves globally, expects a product shortage as demand from Europe and the United States spikes because of the widening coronavirus outbreak is exceeding its capacity.

The company has extended shipping times to cope with the demand surge, Executive Chairman Lim Wee Chai told Reuters by phone on Friday.

Lim said orders received in the past few weeks, mainly from Europe and the United States, were almost double the company’s production capacity. Top Glove can produce 200 million natural and synthetic rubber gloves a day.

There are now more than 600,000 coronavirus cases across 202 countries and territories globally, with the United States overtaking China as the country with the most infections. Europe continues to report the most deaths.

“Some customers panic order; normally they order 10 containers a month but now they suddenly increase to 20 containers,” he said.

The World Health Organisation warned on Friday that the “chronic global shortage of personal protective gear” is among the most urgent threats to the virus containment efforts.

“Definitely there is a shortage. They order 100 per cent more, we can only increase 20 per cent so there is a shortage of about 50 per cent to 80 per cent,” he said.

The exceptional buying momentum could last another three months but orders are expected to remain strong for up to nine months even as demand from Asian markets has started to slow slightly, Lim said.

To cope, the company has adjusted its delivery time from as short as 30 days to as long as 150 days.

Lim said the company was ensuring all its customers get a fair share of extra gloves delivered.

“We manage their volume, limit them to buy so much per customer. We have to manage but it’s a good problem for us to solve,” he said.

Lim said the company is adding new machines every week, and could increase its production by as much as 30 per cent.

This month, Top Glove stepped up its factory utilisation by 10 per cent to 95 per cent and expects to reach near maximum utilisation in April.

The company is rushing to source about 1,000 workers to keep up. Top Glove normally hires from Nepal but is now drafting workers from Malaysia because of travel restrictions.

“We need about 10 per cent extra workers. During this (travel curbs), we are also not able to bring in workers from Nepal. So we have no choice, we have to use some local workers to help out, in the packing especially.”

Top Glove said its supply chain is well-diversified and was optimistic it would not have issues sourcing materials in the next few weeks. Malaysia has approved some manufacturers in the essential goods sectors to continue operating under specific conditions during the nation’s lockdown that ends on April 14. — Reuters