KOTA KINABALU: Allow inter-district travel soonest to ensure the recovery of the ailing tourism industry, in the State.
Martin Kong, General Manager of Sabah Tea Resort, Ranau said inter-district should be allowed since positive cases are lessening and infectivity rate or RT is below 0.90.
He said cases among districts are comparable so the situation whereby travellers from one area may expose residents of another area is not so critical. With an average of 20 cases per day, there are minimal chances of travellers from Kota Kinabalu infecting people in Kundasang and Ranau.
He said, strict health SOPs when adhered to can control chances of infection. SOP should be enforced strictly and consistently with no double standards, no regular changes, and with clarity.
On Sabah Tea Resort, he said during MCO 1.0, “we had cash savings to draw on, and it was for a shorter period. When it was lifted we managed to win back 15% of sales. And we received wages subsidy in time.”
“MCO 2.0 is more brutal and many small businesses will not survive. They are without cash to continue operations and many companies didn’t receive their promised wage subsidy for Sep-Dec until 1-2 weeks ago. Sabah Tea Resort reopens tomorrow, 19 February, though we expect very few customers due to the inter-district travel ban,” he said adding that it will take two months of intense promotion before more local travellers come to their restaurant, gift shop, and Tree House.
“For us, allowing our restaurant and hotel to reopen but not allowing people to come, is not helpful,” he opined.
Anne Antah
Anne Antah, who runs Chanteek Borneo, sited in Tamparuli said the inter-district travel ban should be lifted as the economic condition in any one district cannot support the needs of the local community within the area.
“As most economic resources and activities are centralised at the state capital, it is difficult for businesses who operates outside the capital to continue their operation. Furthermore, the ban has been (off and on) almost a year by now, it has crippled the economic and inevitably people’s mental health ,” she said.
“I never came across anyone who thinks doing business during MCO is a great opportunity. Yes, it has affected me tremendously to the point that I need to rethink whether I should continue the business so that I could help to bring food on the table for the people in my company and sacrifice myself or should I save myself first and sacrifice the people who works there,” she stressed.
She opined that the pandemic can be countered by good hygiene and adhering to the new norm such as washings hands, usage of sanitizers and social distancing as well as wearing a mask at all times in public.
“Inter-state travel ban is a good measure to keep the state safe but not inter-district travel ban,” she said.
Faye Robert of Borneo Holiday and Vehicles Rental Sdn Bhd based in Kota Kinabalu agreed with Anne, saying strict SOP to ensure against infection should be imposed as it can help in curbing pandemic.
“Discipline among the citizens is crucial and as such it must be instilled starting from home to ensure that it becomes a social culture. So rather than focusing on Lockdown, MCO, CMCO, RMCO where everyone will suffer, rules to regulate this SOP should be in place. If everyone works together, the pandemic can be curbed,” she opined.
She stressed that inter-district travel ban will allow people to go back to work and revitalise the local tourism industry, as the MCO, RMCO and subsequent CMCO had been tough for everybody.
“MCO has affected our business in many ways. Nothing can be executed or done normally in terms of our day to day business. We have no clients as the movement restrictions means no one has been travelling and so it has been affecting the business badly,” she stated.
Vivienne Angela Chu
Vivian Chu Hotel Manager of IBIS KLCC, a Sabahan, said lifting travel ban will help tourism which had suffered since the implementation of the first MCO, and had not experienced any improvement since, with tourism player depending on their daily income to put food on the table.
Instead of extending MCOs again and again, implementing and enforcing strict SOP should be focused on, she said, adding that domestic tourists should be allowed to travel to the State with strict monitoring on exit and entry points. This can also ensure domestic tourism survives.
Ronnie Onginjan
Ronnie Onginjan, producer of Virgin Coconut Oil from Kg Kimihang Kudat stated that the inter-district travel ban should be lifted although he was apprehensive of the Covid19 infection in Kudat, after the recent State Election.
“If situations permit I wish the ban to be lifted because it affected my business badly. Sending my products to other district especially to the Sabah State Capital is very hard, there was once I went to get a police permit but turned down because they said my products are not daily used or of urgent need. Getting the services of a ‘runner’ is also very costly.”
“We used to have many visitors at my production centre but since MCO then CMCO were imposed, no visitors at all. Some farmers also feel insecure to go out from home especially those with farms in another area and have to travel by Kudat- KK main road. Farmers are trying to avoid being summoned while they are transporting their farm products to town or other places.”
Ronnie stated that the government should revitalise the tourism sector and plan programmes to help this sector, such as tourists’ health check prior to traveling to any destinations in Sabah.
“Educating the people with the so called New Norm is better than giving summons. The Government should plan on how to educate the people rather than having politicians appear on tv and radios to give talk on curbing the pandemic.”
He expressed his hope that the inter-district travel ban be lifted and strict SOP be enforced instead.
Recently, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said although most states would be placed under the conditional MCO (CMCO) and the recovery MCO (RMCO), interstate and inter-district travel was still not allowed.
Sabah is under Conditional MCO (CMCO) effective February 19 to March 4.-BNN
