KUALA LUMPUR (July 8): The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) has reiterated its call to the government to allow glove factories in areas under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in Selangor to operate.

MARGMA said it is making the call again as it has received many queries and flood of messages from embassies, hospitals and the healthcare sectors from across the world as they are concerned about a supply shortage of medical gloves.

" Notwithstanding the huge economic losses to the nation, we nevertheless have a more important duty and responsibility to ensure no disruption to this very essential medical item, for the nation as well as the 195 countries who depend on our supply pipeline," MARGMA president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam said in a statement today.

" Remember that Malaysia is the undisputed world leader in this field. We do have a duty to perform," he said.

On July 4, MARGMA issued its first call to the government to allow glove factories in Selangor to continue operating, after many areas in the state were placed under EMCO from July 3 to July 16.

In its statement today, MARGMA said the association has assured the authorities that it will supervise and monitor its members to observe and to practise the strictest compliance in their workplaces with all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid out by the Health Ministry.

It added that MARGMA has a special unit that will work with the ministry in managing and supervising the manufacturers in Selangor.

Supramaniam said the directive for glove makers to cease production in areas under EMCO took the industry by surprise as medical gloves have been recognised as an essential personal protective equipment item for the medical and frontline healthcare workers.

" It is incomprehensible as surgery and the examination of patients of critical cases cannot be done without donning a pair of protective medical gloves. It is in the healthcare SOPs for sure. Healthcare workers must be protected in order to protect humanity," he said.

Additionally, MARGMA shared the expressed concern of one of its global buyers, French healthcare and medical glove distributor Mathieu Roturier of Euromedis SA.

" Malaysia must perform its obligations to France and to the world to ensure adequate supply of medical gloves to the hospitals. This sudden closure is sending a bad signal that Malaysia is not capable to fulfil its global supply as a leading medical glove producer. It is about responsibility also," the association cited Roturier as saying.