SMEs, especially those that are involved in manufacturing, appealing to the government for leeway to allow them to operate under strict conditions if the current MCO (Movement Control Order) were to be extended past 14 April. While there has been no confirmation as of yet, the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country have led economists to believe that the MCO will indeed be extended.
Many SME organisations and associations have expressed their concerns to the government and lobbied for them to allow businesses to operate in a limited capacity should the MCO period be extended; citing a need to ensure that the economy is moving to ensure businesses do not have to shut down.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the manufacturing sector should be allowed to operate with a minimum workforce should there be an extension. However, he added that these operations should be subjected to strict safety measures at the workplace and factories to ensure that health and safety is not compromised.
“Our view is to let all manufacturing sectors run minimum with 50 percent workforce and to adhere to a Covid-19 SOP at the workplace,” he said.
National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) president Tan Sri Ter Leong Yap said the government needed to find a good balance between containing the Covid-19 outbreak and minimising financial losses by businesses to save jobs.
“The chamber has conveyed its reservations to some key ministers pertaining to the MCO approach in providing some flexibility to allow other economic sectors and businesses to continue operation,” he said.
The Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) has also chimed in, stating that the government should consider reviewing and extending the list of essential goods and professionals in order to break and remove supply chain bottlenecks for service and supplies.
The Malaysian government is expected to make an announcement regarding the MCO on 10 April 2020.
