Lau Pang Heng
KUCHING (July 16): Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA) welcomes the authorities’ decision to allow more businesses to operate, including hair salons and dine-in at food courts and restaurants.
Its chairman Datuk Dr Lau Pang Heng said that this would reactivate the business sector’s economic activities so more people will be gainfully employed.
Lau alongside other association members had visited coffee shops and food courts in Kota Sentosa and Kuching earlier this morning, where they found that some still continued with takeaway service instead of dine-in.
“We found that some of them still continue with takeaway arrangement. They mentioned that ‘dine-in is only allowed until a later date’ and they are concerned by the authorities’ announcements yesterday that businesses will be closed immediately for 14 days in case positive cases spread at the premises.
“They are also concerned that the cost of screenings and sanitisation will be borne by themselves and that compounds would be imposed if the operators or employees fail to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP),” Lau said in a statement today.
He added that businesses are ‘bleeding and suffering’, and these additional costs would only exacerbate the situation.
“They are asking authorities how do they determine if a positive case has originated from their premise? Is the screening cost to be borne by business or premise owners a fair deal?
“Many feel that it is not fair to them as they are paying taxes everyday to the government and they ask if it is fair for them to incur costs of disinfecting their premises,” he said.
Lau said that business operators urge the authorities to be fair to the business sector as statistics and date have confirmed that 71 per cent of Covid-19 infections come from social activities while workplace infections are less than 15 per cent for the past few weeks.
“It is not fair to burden business owners if an innocent customer who visited the shop tests positive three days later,” he lamented.
As such, SPA urged the authorities to unite with business stakeholders and the public to fight Covid-19 and not to let businesses continue to suffer.
“Only if both the authorities and public stay united can we win the battle against Covid-19. This virus may become endemic — it is here to stay and we need to learn to live with it,” Lau said.