Lau (front row, second left) in a photo call with members.
MIRI (April 23): Miri Division Reflexology Shop Owners Association is calling on the government to review the ban on massage centres during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) as they are in the healthcare industry and are not entertainment outlets.
In a press statement issued by the association yesterday, its chairperson Helen Lau claimed that since the implementation of the MCO in March last year, the industry had not received any care and assistance from the government, even after not being in operation for over a year.
“We have only opened for 20 days after the reopening, and are ordered to close again. This is unacceptable.
“The massage and health industry has no entertainment component and should be removed from the (entertainment) sector, lest the public mistakenly think that it is an ‘entertainment’ industry and look at it with coloured glasses,” she said.
She said if by not allowing massage and healthcare industry to operate can effectively control the spread of the pandemic or reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, the industry will gladly accept the authorities’ decision.
“However, the ‘out-of-control’ pandemic is not related to the massage and healthcare industry, but the authorities are putting the blame on the industry players. Is this fair?”
Lau added that from the daily number of confirmed Covid-19 cases released by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), it is known that the cause of the Covid-19 outbreak in Sarawak is due to factors such as funerals, weddings, dine-ins and others.
“The authorities did not find out the reasons for prevention, but instead required massage and healthcare industry and other entertainment industries to cease operations. This is puzzling,” she said, adding that the association did not believe that the industry was the main cause of the ‘out-of-control’ Covid-19 pandemic.
The association thus urged SDMC to review the decision that prohibited massage parlours from operating, in order to allow the industry to survive the current difficult time.
“The association believes that the SDMC’s decision was too sloppy. They do not have data to prove that the massage industry caused the pandemic to rise. They hurriedly decided not to allow the industry to operate, making them the victim instead. This is biased and unconvincing.”
The association also said that they followed all instructions of the authorities, but in the face of the pandemic, they also need the government to reach out and help solve their predicament.
Lau added that not being in operation had led them to hosts of problems such as capital operation problems, employee turnover, AP application as well as foreign employees not able to enter the country.
She said that about half of massage parlours had closed and ceased operation.
“The remaining ones are struggling and if they do not get government assistance, they too will close down,” she said.
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