According to a National Security Council report, contractors from the Construction Industry Development Board's (CIDB) Grade 1 through Grade 4 categories are now permitted to renovate houses under the first phase of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof emphasised that physical distancing is easy to establish under these types of construction categories.

Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah says, “These projects involve the categories between G1 and G4, and they normally do not have many workers on site.” He added as quoted by The Star, “Many of these contractors and house owners have appealed to the government to allow them to operate as their house renovations were interrupted during the pandemic.”

A CIDB grading is a ranking assigned to a construction company based on its experience and the value of its previous projects. G1 contractors work on projects worth up to RM200,000, G2 contractors up to RM500,000, G3 contractors up to RM1 million, and G4 contractors up to RM3 million. The final call to allow home renovations and constructions were made in agreement with the NSC's decision on August 3rd.

“In Phase One, all types of house renovation works are allowed,” said Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah. “In Phase Two, all types of house and building renovation works are allowed, and by building renovations, we mean any building. This can include factories, offices, malls, schools and shops.”

Companies involved in Phases One and Two, on the other hand, “will have to apply for Approval to Operate from the COVID-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) portal under the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI).”

“Of course, the accommodation must be approved by the local councils. Again, the companies involved must apply for Approval to Operate from Miti’s CIMS”, Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah stated.

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The SOP for Phase One housing development involves worker screening, permitting only low-risk workers on site, and a QR code-based attendance register provided by the site owner. Physical distance between workers should also be observed, as should regular hand washing with soap, the use of a face mask, and the use of sanitizer. According to the SOP, there should also be proper air ventilation on the premises. Furthermore, employees are not permitted to stay on the premises for more than nine hours, and their shifts must end by 5 p.m.