From Ronald Quay
On a busy Friday night last week, there was a combined blitz in Bangsar to check on Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) involving the police, DBKL and the human resources and health ministries.
Door-to-door checks were conducted on nearly every bar and restaurant in Bangsar Baru. The human resources minister was part of the party and, obviously, the others had to show they were working harder than usual.
The operations began at about 9pm and did not end until well after midnight. The objectives, it seems, were to check if the customers had registered themselves with the MySejahtera app and if the business operators had made sure their customers practised physical distancing.
The number of officers present was an inconvenience to the business operators. Besides making sure the SOPs were being adhered to, there were queries on non-Covid-19 issues as they also insisted on inspecting documents like premise, advertisement and liquor licences.
As we are in the conditional movement control order (CMCO) period, the government agencies have every right to check on strict adherence of Covid-19 guidelines. The F&B businesses have no quarrel with that. But can the authorities show some “mercy” on the businesses in Bangsar?
When big groups of officers come to carry out checks, businesses which usually operate from small shoplots become crowded. Customers are affected by the presence of uniformed personnel and, not wanting to be part of the situation, most will hurriedly pay their bills and leave. Sales are affected and the business operators suffer.
Last Friday, nearly all business operators complained that their sales on a usual busy Friday evening were reduced substantially.
The question that begs the business operators is: Are the police and agencies checking on the F&B outlets for adherence to SOPs, or are they also checking for business licences, migrant workers working in the outlets or the crime rate?
For example, the police will automatically ask the business owners to show their licences. Isn’t this under the purview of DBKL?
Then, they will ask if there are migrant workers working in the premises. Isn’t this the responsibility of the Immigration Department?
One has to ask what is the priority? One would think that during the CMCO period, the containment of Covid-19 should be at the top of the list.
We have no problems showing licences and other documents, but regular police checks are disrupting business operations.
Businesses in Bangsar are suffering. Quite a few have had to shut down. The ones still open are struggling to stay alive. Never in our country’s history have we been confronted with such a situation.
Why was Bangsar and KL targeted? It must be noted that more recently, Covid-19 cases in the capital have been well contained, with fewer than 100 a day on a regular basis.
The people of KL are fully aware of the dangers of this pandemic and the fact that the number of cases is low is indicative of the resourcefulness of the population. This is a fact the authorities ought to be proud of.
May we appeal to the government to be compassionate and consider the plight of the small businesses? We can never have a perfect world. The human resources minister complained that foreign workers were depriving locals of employment opportunities and that he wants them to be deported to their respective countries. This is easier said than done.
The stark reality is that there are about five million documented and undocumented migrant workers in our country today. We inherited this problem, which was a result of the past government’s impatient policies to import as many migrant workers as possible to advance our then industrial programme.
Rightfully, government leaders are concerned with unemployment issues and that we give priority to locals over foreign workers for even menial jobs. This is justifiable but the problem cannot be solved overnight.
In the F&B and hospitality sectors, for example, if we were to do away with all the migrant workers, there will be a serious problem. Today, probably 50% or more of the workers in smaller businesses like the coffee shops, convenience stores, budget hotels, bars and restaurants are foreigners who include Indonesians, Indians, Myanmar nationals, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Nepalis, Cambodians, Pakistanis and others.
Faced with this situation, we can understand the government’s predicament. However, a holistic solution needs to be found and there are no shortcuts.
The economic forecast for this year and possibly 2022 is not good. We have to brace ourselves for more difficulties and hardship ahead. In any country, the main engine of the economy are the small- and medium-sized businesses. If this sector was to falter, it will lead to more serious repercussions.
We urge the government to engage with small businesses and work with us to find solutions. We are just as eager as the government to see the end of this pandemic and to ensure the economy becomes more sustainable.
Although the priority now is to contain the spread of Covid-19, which we are managing quite well, the urgent need is to accelerate the pace of the economy, invigorate it, and minimise the harassment of small businesses, particularly the F&B sector.
Ronald Quay is a member of the Bangsar business community.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.