KOTA KINABALU: The government has been urged to allow cluster-free industries in Sabah to resume operations immediately with strict standard operating procedures (SOPs)
compliance to save all these almost-dying small businesses and SMEs.
In making the call, Sabah Wellness and Spa Industry players’ advisor Datuk Johnny Mositun said with the daily new cases decreasing to about 200 per day in the state, perhaps it was time the government consider implementing relaxed SOPs for Sabah.
“There is no evidence to show that the resumption or reopening of economic sectors with strict SOP compliance may trigger new clusters.
“Perhaps, the government should now introduce new measures by allowing employers who are able to comply and adhere to the established SOPs to resume and operate businesses fully.
“I believe the fight against Covid-19 is not about implementing a prolonged lockdown. The lockdown really hurt the employers, employees, the rakyat and the nation. Everyone is in difficulty…you see a lot of hotels and business outlets closed down because of the prolonged implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO),” he said in a statement today.
Mositun said although the industry players understood the noble intention of the four-phase lockdown plan to achieve herd immunity by the end of the year, the interest of the business community and the people should also be taken into consideration.
“That’s why we humbly appeal to the goverment to allow certain non-essential economic sectors to operate during the lockdown as the extension of the full movement control order (FMCO) have devastating impacts and could shutter industry players for good,” he said.
Stressing that no clusters were recorded from the wellness and spa sector, Mositun said they had been complying with the strict SOP and even added more safety precaution measures to minimise the risk of transmission.
In this respect, Mositun expressed full support for the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and the state government’s decision in implementing the relaxation of the SOP in the state.
Hajiji Noor was quoted as saying recently that social and economic activities including dine-in in restaurants, coffee shops and restaurants in hotel premises would be allowed in Sabah
Hajiji said the economic activities would also include barber shops and roadside stalls selling vegetables, fish and fruits.
Mositun hoped that Sabah would be placed under CMCO by the middle of this month.
