SIBU, Aug 3: Eating outlet operators are in a quandary over who should be registering the particulars of customers in logbooks as part of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Sibu Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners Association Tong Ing Kok opined today that the government should be firm on the matter.
“The government should have proper guidelines on the matter. If we, operators of eatery outlets, are to record the particulars of our customers, they will not be cooperative when ask for their identity card. They will claim that they have forgotten to bring their IC,” he said.
Tong added if they just let customers do the registration by themselves as what is practised currently, most patrons will write their name either in short form or one word only for their convenience sake.
He noted that some operators were scolded by customers when they told them to write their name in full.
“There are people who write their name in short form like “TOK’ or just one word like “Simon” only. We fear that if this continues to happen, the enforcement authority will accuse us for not following the SOP,” he said.
On August 1, a 25-year-old youth in Miri was fined RM1,000 for not writing his full name in a log book at a restaurant entrance.
There was a discrepancy in his name in the log book and the one recorded on his identity card. He had written his English name in the log book followed by his surname. But he does not have an English name in his identity card.
According to Tong, as there is no clear instruction from the authority on the matter, most coffeeshop operators would just put the logbook on a table at the entrance of their premises for customers to note down their particulars.
“On the other hand, if it is the job of the operators to jot down the particulars of their customers, and if customers did not give their real name, the operators will be faulted by the authority,” he said.
Tong however supports the ruling of imposing a RM1,000 fine on people for giving fictitious or their short form names.
“This is a good move so as to force people to comply. We cannot take things easy because we don’t want just because of one particular positive Covid-19 case that all coffeeshops will be ordered to shut down until things get back to normal,” he said.
Tong also urged the public to be considerate with the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) enforcement team as they have been working tirelessly to see to it that the SOP is being complied with. — DayakDaily
