15 Oct 2020
TM takes action to curb further Covid-19 spread; continues to serve the nation with essential services
Reactivates “Work From Home” nationwide following new cases recorded
Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) today confirmed that since its previous announcement on 11 October 2020, ten (10) further positive cases of Covid-19 have been recorded amongst its employees; bringing a total of 13 positive cases thus far. The newly affected areas include Menara TM and TM Annexe 1 in Kuala Lumpur as well as at a network node in Rawang. This is in addition to the earlier affected areas of Menara TM ONE in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur and Kepayan office in Kota Kinabalu.
From the 13 cases, the Company is pleased to announce that three (3) employees have been discharged from the hospital and quarantine centre they were admitted to, and are continuing their recovery and home-quarantine for 14 days. Meanwhile, the other ten (10) employees are currently receiving treatment.
Following the new positive cases, detailed contact tracing is being carried out by the Ministry of Health (MoH), assisted by TM's COVID-19 Crisis Response Team (CRT), to identify and inform those whom had close contact with the affected employees. Identified close contacts are being contacted by MoH for further advice and action.
TM immediately took the necessary actions which include immediate closure of the affected premises for seven (7) days to facilitate thorough disinfection and sanitisation in accordance to the guidelines set by MoH. The disinfection and sanitisation works at TM Annexe 1 and the network node in Rawang have been completed on 14 October 2020, Menara TM ONE on 13 October, while the work at Menara TM is ongoing and expected to be completed by 5.00 pm today. TM offices in Sabah, Kedah and other Red Zone areas had been closed much earlier as proactive precaution in correspondence to the increasing cases there recently.
With immediate effect, TM is also activating "Work From Home" (WFH) arrangements for all Warga TM nationwide until 31 October 2020. On Monday, TM had implemented the same for TM employees in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, ahead of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) announced.
Commenting on the latest developments, Group Chief Executive Officer of TM, Imri Mokhtar said, "The sudden rise in cases amongst our Warga TM family, and indeed throughout the nation is of worrying concern. I join the Board, management and all Warga TM in praying for the speedy recovery of the affected employees as well as for the safety, protection and health of all Malaysians during these testing times. Meanwhile, we have taken immediate action and activated safety protocols for the buildings and areas affected. Most importantly for our employees, we are announcing working from home arrangements for all Warga TM nationwide effective today till the end of October. As TM provides essential services for the nation, our frontliners involved in critical functions serving our wide base of customers shall continue to work, adhering to the SOP guidelines from the authorities."
"Over 4,700 critical function employees at our TMpoints, contact centres, field teams for service installation and restoration continue to lead the front line in serving our community, businesses and Government in the Red Zones. This is even more important especially when many Malaysians are now back to working from home. To all the TM frontliners and the TM Covid-19 Response Team (CRT), our highest appreciation for stepping up in the line of duty, and our prayers for your safety and protection," he added.
TM is also providing free Covid-19 swab tests in collaboration with its panel of medical service providers for employees who may have been exposed to the virus. This is yet another proactive measure taken by the Company to curb the spread of the virus amongst its employees. Identified employees can undergo the test from 15 October 2020 onwards at a temporary drive-through facility set up at Menara TM. More facilities will be set up at other locations, if required.
TM would also like to remind everyone at all times to keep safe social distance, hygiene and adhere to the SOPs as advised by the Government. The Company urges everyone who has any symptoms to seek medical attention and not risk further exposure to their loved ones and anyone else. TM wishes for the safety and health of all Malaysians nationwide; together may we return stronger.
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In addition, AI-based facial recognition capabilities can also be applied with the solution. With EWAR Compact, students and teachers can go to schools with peace of mind, knowing that their schools are using the most effective technology available to safeguard their health. "Besides that, we are delighted to see more schools adopting digital solutions as this will expose teachers and students on how technology can help improve lives through safety. The exposure to EWAR Compact will also help students to experience digitalisation in action first-hand, and witness the benefits of digital adoption even before they enter the workforce. We hope this will help groom an industry-forward talent pool which will subsequently drive the nation's digital aspiration, befitting TM Group's role of the enabler of Digital Malaysia," she added. 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