Blind masseur excited to reopen business
GEORGE TOWN: Blind masseur Muhammad Zahir Abd Rahman, 45, said he was excited to resume his business after a three-month pause due to the Movement Control Order.
Zahir runs his own massage centre, Excellent Blind Massage, in Bukit Jambul here, and has four blind employees.
He said he would comply with all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the authorities before resuming business.
When met at his massage centre yesterday morning, Zahir said the SOPs at his shop were similar to the rules for hair salons and beauty centres.
He said customers would need to send a WhatsApp message before going to his shop, where they would be required to fill out a form.
“When they enter the shop, they have to scan the QR Code using the MySejahtera application for contact tracing.
“They will then have their temperatures taken and will be required to use hand sanitisers.
“Since all of us are blind, we rely on the honesty of our customers to follow the SOP at our premises.”
Zahir hoped local council officers could guide him through the process to ensure everything was in order as he could not afford to hire an able-bodied person to help him.
He said the number of customers to his centre could drop in the first few weeks of reopening, but nevertheless, he was happy to be back in business.
“My savings have dwindled in the past few months because I still needed to pay for half of the rental of my shop and other expenses.
“Luckily, we are allowed to reopen for business now. Otherwise, I may have to shut my business, which I started in 1998, for good in a few months.”
Zahir said he was also grateful to be given the RM3,000 Prihatin special grant as some of the equipment at his shop were found to be faulty after they were not used for months.
“At least I can use the money to repair some equipment, and purchase necessary items, such as face masks, aprons and gloves.”
Zahir said he would like to thank medical frontliners by offering them a 50 per cent discount for services at his centre.
“If it’s possible, we can also provide simple massage services at their workplaces.”
For Chan Ai Ling, 37, a clerical assistant from Happy Garden, the reopening of pasar malam today was a joy.
“I prefer night markets because it’s cleaner and easier to get the things I want. I try to avoid wet markets in the morning because the queues would be very long.”
She said in the past three months, she had been buying groceries and vegetables from supermarkets, which cost more than what she usually paid.
Sarawasthy Ramachandran, 33, a housewife from Taman Sentosa in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, said she had been waiting for the weekly pasar malam in her area to reopen.
“The night market near my place is normally open every Thursday.
“Hopefully, the traders will all be back so I can start going there again,” she said, adding that she hoped people would adhere to the SOPs and wear face mask.
For Azman Ali, 33 from Sungai Besi, pasar malam were perfect for working individuals who couldn’t go out in the morning.
“I usually go to the one in Serdang because it has better value for money. I can get two bags full of groceries with only RM50 to RM60 per visit.”