KUCHING, May 1: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) suggests that no businesses should be allowed to operate at all in red zone areas whilst in green zone areas, all businesses be allowed to operate with strict SOPs such as no entry to red zone areas.
This is the view of its Secretary General Priscilla Lau who has commented that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement today “leaves much to the imagination” as the latter did not give clear guidelines to whether SME (small medium enterprises) and what are the SOPs involved.
“As a business owner, I am reading and searching through the whole 16 pages of announcement looking for clear directive as to whether SMEs like mine can open for business.
“As stated in the announcement, I visited the MKN (Majlis Keselamatan Negara or National Security Council) site but after all that, I still cannot find any provisions for SMEs or any other businesses that are allowed to operate with clear SOPs,” said Lau in a press statement today.
Being a lawyer, Lau also stated that she was interested to know if government departments like Land and Survey department, Inland Revenue Office, District Office, Municipal Council, Resident Office and the Court will be open for business.
“Without these offices or departments being open law firms will be unable to conduct our businesses,” she said.
She thus concluded that the government should provide SMEs with a clear and succinct list of categories of businesses that can open for business with clear SOPs even as to the time for operation.
“The government cannot just request employers to stagger their hours of operation. This will cause great chaos because how is one employer/business owner going to know what another’s working hours are?
“Furthermore to generalize and say all eateries can open is not taking into account the level of contagiousness of the virus in each area.
“I would suggest that no businesses should be allowed to operate at all in red zone areas whilst in green zone areas, all businesses be allowed to operate with strict SOPs such as no entry to red zone areas etc.”
Lau further advocated that it will be better if red zone areas be marked out and barriers put up for entry and exit to ensure that each zone is safe and to effectively contain the pandemic.
She stated under Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (PCID) No 4, MCO were to be enforced until May 12.
“This is still the Act of Parliament. Unless and until this PCID No.4 is revoked, this new announcement is very much doubtful.”
As a business owner, she said she also suffered great loss in revenue during MCO but it was also her hope to start working as soon as possible provided there are clear effective measures where there is no guessing game. — DayakDaily
