The Malaysian Insight

SELANGOR DAP has set up volunteer disinfection teams and is seeing more demand for the free service as the number of Covid-19 cases spike in the Klang Valley.

In Balakong, assemblyman Wong Siew Ki’s team, established last April, initially received only one or two calls a week, but is now receiving at least five requests a day.

The team, supported by sponsors, provides the free service to homes, offices and factories.

Many requests are from places where a household member or worker has tested positive for Covid-19, she said.

“Once we receive a request, we make arrangements to go to the site as soon as possible. Volunteers have their day jobs to attend to and are usually only available for disinfection work in the evenings or at night,” Wong told The Malaysian Insight.

She has gathered 30 volunteers in the Balakong area and they have so far provided their service to 300 premises, including residential and commercial venues.

Small businesses and small-and-medium enterprises with cash-flow problems and can’t afford professional services, which start at RM20,000, are the main beneficiaries.

“How can small businesses afford it? I’ve also come to learn that some licensed disinfection teams are not willing to work in places where there have been positive cases.”

The disinfection of manufacturing plants is the most time-consuming, she said, and more volunteers are required.

The team is now planning to produce videos on simple disinfection tips and plans to post them on social media so that more people can learn to do it themselves.

Gaining support

Selangor is currently recording the highest number of cases in the country’s third wave of the pandemic, which began in late September after the Sabah elections.

But since then, the lifting of some movement restrictions and mass testing among factory and construction workers have seen a spike in the number of positive cases.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said on Monday new Covid-19 clusters have been detected as a result of interstate travel and social gatherings since the government lifted some movement restrictions in early December.

Malaysia has been consistently reporting more than 1,000 cases daily and more than 2,000 on some days, since the middle of November. The country now has 122,845 cumulative cases and 509 deaths.

In Klang, parts of which had been under the enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) because of cases among factory workers at glove maker Top Glove Corp’s plants, Pandamaran assemblyman Tony Leong Tuck Chee’s volunteer disinfection team has grown from eight people to 40.

The group was only established in October but as the number of cases grew, more people were eager to sign on and help.

“Sometimes, we really struggle to cope with the requests,” he said.

Many requests come from flat dwellers who are factory employees and healthcare workers.

“Our team disinfected three flats in Bayu Perdana, which had 66 confirmed cases, of which 36 were nurses.”

Leong said until some sponsors agreed to help, the volunteers were paying for their own personal protective equipment (PPE).

Some manufacturers now sell PPE directly to the team at a discount, while some merchants sponsor the items.

“Some businesses that have seen our work have sponsored sprayers, disinfectant, masks and other equipment to us.

“Sometimes, we send some of the equipment to volunteer groups in other constituencies.”

Teratai assemblyman Bryan Lai Wai Chong said his volunteers have received training from the Health Ministry on disinfection procedures. His team provides the service free of charge and receives sponsorship in kind from some businesses.

Extended reach

Lai, who also heads the Selangor DAP action unit, said volunteer teams have been set up in Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Kepong, Cheras, Seputeh, Bangi, Teratai, Dusun Tua, Pandamaran, Balakong, Sungai Long Town and Bandar Mahkota Cheras.

Teams normally provide the service in their immediate localities but have also crossed state borders to render assistance if other teams face shortages.

Teams have also gone as far as Kedah, Seremban in Negri Sembilan and Kluang in Johor to respond to requests there, he added.

He said he has noticed an increase in Covid-19 cases in the community, and that it’s not confined to factories or clusters.

“I hope everyone continues wearing masks, washes hands diligently and keeps their distance. If people say they are worried about the pandemic, then their actions must show that they are following the standard operating procedure.”

Wong said some volunteers take the coronavirus and their work so seriously that they set up makeshift bathing areas outside their homes so they could disinfect before going in.

“Volunteers have families and children but they are dedicated and fearless. It’s very moving to see them.”

Wong urged people to practise the SOP, especially with Chinese New Year approaching, when they will visit relatives for festivities.

“If you go to a relative’s house, don’t take your mask off, even inside the house. And use serving spoons when taking food from dishes to prevent transmission.” – January 6, 2021.