Shahrir says those in the construction industry, whose incomes rely on the works done on-site, having MCO would result in slow or no progress in projects. — Bernama photo
KUCHING (Apr 18): The business community in Sarawak welcomes the decision by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) of maintaining the targeted implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).
Syahrir Iman said as a construction business owner with 120 employees, he was fully supportive of SDMC’s move to balance between public health and safety, the economic survival of the people and also local businesses.
“We are in the construction industry, where our income relies on the works done on-site.
“Having MCO would result in slow or no progress in our projects. On top of that, half of our employees rely on daily wages – having MCO would mean no income for them at all,” he said.
Shahrir acknowledged that implementing targeted MCO would mean that construction works could still proceed.
He also believed that while health was important, any decision on MCO would have its reasoning.
He also pointed out that the people must always remember their responsibility in fully adhering to the standard operation procedures (SOP) set by the SDMC, and working together with the authorities in bringing the Covid-19 number of confirmed cases down.
Meanwhile, Melvin Liew who represented the food and beverage (F&B) industry, said businesses would suffer should the MCO be re-imposed amidst the current economic situation and the significant rise in unemployment rate.
“We see a rise in upskilling and reskilling activities for those who are fortunate. To those not as fortunate, they might not be able to withstand the drastic impact.
“From an F&B operator’s perspective, we are seeing revenue declines, which make it difficult to sustain the business and retain the employees.
“Smaller F&B operators would be significantly affected from the drop in sales.
“From an innovation hub operator’s perspective – mid-sized SMEs (small-medium enterprises) are downscaling and decentralising, causing a drop in productivity and efficiency,” he said.
Melvin also noted the emergence of more freelancers due to high unemployment rate.
“The bad thing is that these freelancers are unable to benefit from major upskilling programmes, which are primarily made available to those newly-employed or those still fortunate enough to be employed.”
Melvin regarded SDMC’s decision of maintaining MCO in targeted areas as ‘commendable’, in that it took into account many considerations – from the people’s welfare to their health and safety.
He added: “During this time, it’s no longer about you or me. It’s about our well-being, our loved ones, our communities and our future generations.
“Reach out to the readily-available support agencies or organisations if you feel the need to.
“Reach out to your communities – find ways to support one another.
“A constant reminder – we all have a crucial role to play.”
For Charles Liew, he regarded the MCO announcement by the National Security Council (NSC) as a surprise because despite the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak, the general sentiment was that the local situation was very much under control, with strict protocols being adhered to by the majority of responsible business owners as well as consumers.
This said, the healthcare industry player believed that the stabilisation of the local economy would be overturned should the MCO be re-imposed all over Sarawak.
“I’m convinced that the SDMC knows best and strives to ensure that the situation is under control, and that if the MCO is warranted, the committee would be the first to advocate caution and enforce the order forthwith,” he said.
Charles said while many might think the healthcare industry – or more specifically, the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries where he was involved in – would emerge unscathed from any MCO, this could only hold true for large-chain pharmacies with readily-available resources to sustain and capitalise.
He said many smaller community pharmacies, representing 90 per cent of the whole local pharmacy market, had yet to have e-commerce presence or delivery services – to name a few platforms.
He said with rentals, staff salaries and other costs, these smaller community pharmacies – almost all locally-owned – would suffer.
“I am fully agreeable with this (SDMC’s) decision. The spike in (Covid-19 case) numbers is obviously the result of continued efforts in tracing and, eventually, isolating (the cases) where necessary.
“The easy thing to do would be to not trace, resulting in no cases being reported, as being done in some poorer countries – but this is clearly not the case here, and we should be grateful.”
Charles said implementing targeted MCO would mean that Sarawak could continue making small steps in the right direction towards full economic recovery, and at the same time, helping to maintain decent standards of living for all Sarawakians.
He said the knock-on negative multiplier effects of any MCO, economically-speaking, would eventually hurt the low-income earners, and Sarawak government remained prudent in protecting the most vulnerable group.
“A very simple advice from me – take the most basic of precautions like wearing your face masks and sanitising your hands thoroughly, and ensuring that all your loved ones do the same.
“Also, please get yourself signed up for vaccination because the sooner everyone gets vaccinated, the sooner press statements like this would become a thing of the past,” he added.