KUALA LUMPUR: The government must exercise greater cautious in its intention and move to gradually re-open the various economic sectors in the country, as the people’s lives are more valuable than the economy, said Tan Sri T.C Goh, president of The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Huazong).
“The government must adopt the stance of ‘fight the pandemic first, revive the economy later’, and to ensure that only those businesses which are really essential and meet the requirements are allowed to re-open gradually. This is also in line with the government’s objective of implementing the Movement Control Order (MCO) to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
“While we acknowledge that fighting the pandemic and saving the economy are both important, but it is even more important that we safeguard the people’s lives first, as we could always strive for economic recovery after winning the battle against the virus,” he said in a statement issued today.
He said, Huazong supports the government’s policy of allowing only essential sectors to continue to operate during the MCO period, and the gradual reopening of a certain businesses.
He continued that while he recognized the fervent wish of various businesses and industries to resume operations, as soon as possible, so that they could cut losses and solve cash-flow problem, he nonetheless hoped they could better appreciate the government’s move requiring them to temporary cease operations during the MCO period, in order to contain the pandemic.
He went on to reiterate that the government should issue a well-thought-out Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which meets the Health Ministry’s requirements in containing the pandemic, for those selected businesses which have been allowed to re-open in stages to comply with.
“The enforcement teams of relevant authorities like the Ministry of Health, the National Security Council, and the local authority should also conduct ‘spot checks’ on these business premises, if and when necessary, and to take appropriate actions against them if they are found to have violated the SOP,” he said.
Goh also opined that it is not necessary for all businesses to resume operations during the MCO period. He cited for instance, he had personally received feedback from hair salon and barber shop operators that, due to safety concern, they are reluctant to resume operations even though they were among the few selected businesses which have been allowed to resume business.
“They are especially concerned and in a dilemma of how to maintain the required social-distancing requirement of ‘maintaining at least one meter away from each other’, since their job require them to come into close contact with their customers. Besides, there’s also this grave concern that both the operators and the customers might get infected, if they are asymptomatic, or not being honest about their actual condition.
“The barber shop and hair salon operators were of the view that theirs’ are not essential sector, and the public can always have their hair cut, after the MCO is lifted,” he said.
He also called on the people to continue to give their full support and cooperation to the government and the Ministry of Health, in fighting the pandemic.
“Lest we forget that health is not only the first but the only priority for all of us!” he concluded. -pr/BNN
