Massage, reflexology centres prep for reopening

SIBU: Massage centre operators in Sibu spent yesterday having their premises prepped for reopening following the green light given by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) for them to resume operations.

Siam Thai Spa manager Liau Sze Ling, 46, said she asked her workers to come in early to carry out the necessary preparations to ensure the requirements under the standard operating procedures (SOP) are met.

“Today (yesterday) I asked my workers to come in early to do final preparations – to clean the place and to make sure that all bed sheets, towels, blankets are washed – and also to sanitise the whole place,” said Liau, whose premises is located at Jalan Kampung Nyabor.

She said they have no problem with complying with the SOP as the requirements are not much different to what is normally practised at the centre.

“For example, we have about 10 employees and it has been a practice of the centre that workers take turns to work based on the duty roster given.

“The distance between massage chairs is also far apart from one another and massage beds are separated by rooms. We can still move the massage chairs to make the distance a little further apart as we have a lot of space here,” she added.

On Monday, SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah announced that spas, wellness centres, as well as foot massage and reflexology centres can reopen subject to the SOP set by the Local Government and Housing Ministry. Meanwhile, workers at another massage centre nearby expressed delight at finally being to return to work after months of going without income.

Melody Matubis, 39, who has been a masseuse for the past 10 years, said her income is based on commission per customer.

“When the centre was closed during the Movement Control Order, all of us were out of work. However, our boss has been giving us food aid to help us get through until we can reopen for business,” she said.

Her colleague Melanie Leano, 38, said they spent Sunday cleaning and sanitising the entire premises in preparation for reopening, adding she is not worried about attending to customers.

“Most of our customers are local Sibu folk, so we’re not so worried to provide our services to them. But if a customer is someone who has just returned from overseas, the risk is there and of course we will feel a little bit worried.”

Melanie also said that under the SOP, regular customers would not be able to select their own masseuse unlike previously.