No WFH decision by Penang draws mixed reactions

The Penang Consumers Protection Association said there are grounds to impose WFH considering the heatwave, the growing congestion and the spike in fuel prices.

PENANG has decided not to adopt the work-from-home (WFH) concept for its civil service despite numerous calls to adopt it due to escalating costs and the heatwave.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said there was no need for a WFH policy as it was not suitable for all tasks and there was no urgency.

The federal government is studying the need for WFH to help Malaysians better navigate economic pressures arising from global developments, mainly the Middle East conflict.

The decision by the state has since sparked a debate, with some arguing that it is important to adopt the WFH policy, while others agree with Chow.

Penang Consumers Protection Association president Datuk K. Koris Atan said there are grounds to impose WFH considering the heatwave, the growing congestion and the spike in fuel prices.

"We are talking about saving the environment - the heatwave is an illustration of the struggles we have ahead in dealing with global warming."

Koris urged Chow to reconsider the move, saying that Penang should lead, and in this area of conservation, the state should heed the warning signs of air pollution.

Koris said that there can be some mechanism imposed to ensure that both the public and private sector workers are disciplined and productive when they work from the comforts of their homes.

He called on Chow to impose carpooling regulations of having a minimum of four persons, including the driver, inside vehicles entering the city limits.

Former Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan, on the other hand, said that Chow was right to reject the WFH because there is no pandemic here.

"We need people to be out to boost domestic consumption; to drive the economy since globally, we are facing threats such as war and global trade imbalances."

Raveentharan also said that the majority of office workers reside within a 5km radius of their workplaces, so commuting is a short distance.

It will not contribute to congestion, nor increase exposure to the heatwave, he said. - April 1, 2026.