Lui
KOTA KINABALU: The latest standard operating procedures (SOP) for Sabah which only allows fully vaccinated customers and employees with low-risk status on the MySejahtera application to enter eateries, supermarkets and hypermarkets is unreasonable, given the low percentage of population who have completed two doses of vaccine in the state.
Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) president Datuk Michael Lui said the State Government ought to consider the current situation, infection rate and vaccination rate when reviewing the SOP.
He said the chamber did not agree with the one-size-fits-all approach in formulating the SOP for Sabah because the circumstances were different compared to West Malaysia.
As of August 12, he said 60.3 per cent of the adult population in Klang Valley were fully vaccinated, whereas only 19.6 per cent of adults in Sabah have completed their inoculation.
Hence, he said the new SOP that only allowed fully vaccinated customers and employees with low-risk status on the MySejahtera application to enter supermarkets, hypermarkets and eateries was unreasonable considering the significantly lower percentage of fully inoculated population in Sabah.
“It would be fairer to impose the restriction when at least 60 per cent of the adult population have been fully vaccinated, like Klang Valley. We will have no reason to oppose by then.
“At this stage where vaccination rate is still low in Sabah, allowing only individuals with low-risk status on their MySejahtera application to enter such premises, without the requirement of being fully vaccinated, is more acceptable.”
Nevertheless, Lui was relieved to know that the Covid-19 situation in Sabah was still under control as stated by Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun.
Hence, he urged the government to reopen all economic sectors for businesses whose employees have been vaccinated and with precautionary measures in place in accordance with the SOP.
He said the country could not be placed under lockdown indefinitely as more businesses would be forced to close, causing irreparable damage to the economy that required much longer recovery period.