People need work to put food on the table, say groups
PETALING JAYA: Businesses and employers are hoping for the reopening of more economic sectors but are also cautious about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
SME Association of Malaysia president Datuk Michael Kang said that reopening the economy would be a step in the right direction, in line with the increasing vaccination rate.
“Businesses should be allowed to operate based on the vaccination rate in each company. There is a need to protect the health of staff.
“There must also be strict compliance with the standard operating procedure,” he said.
He added that companies were suffering because of the lockdowns, with many having had to close down already.
“People need work to put food on the table,” he said.
The Malaysian Employers Federation said it hoped the government would reopen all economic sectors and introduced clearer policies that would protect both employers and workers.
“It is critical for employers to be given the flexibility of managing their staff especially during these challenging times, so that such employers will be able to come out stronger and employees are still able to keep their jobs,” said its president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman.
All the SOP must be followed, he said, adding that access to work premises should be limited to those who have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
“Taking a cautious approach and allowing business to survive is our preferred approach. We must be dynamic to change our strategy based on the situation we are facing, rather than insisting on the same process that has proven to be ineffective thus far.
“There is no simple solution, but when a strategy does not work, we must quickly switch to another so that we do not continue to suffer,” he said about the lockdowns, which he said have not been able to prevent a surge in cases.
Malaysia-singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors Association president Wong Teu Hoon preferred for the number of cases to drop before the full reopening of the economy.
“We are suffering a lot, but there is a big worry about Covid-19 as well,” he added.