Chiew Chin Sing
BINTULU (June 16): The second phase of the government’s National Recovery Plan, from July to August, has been called a great disappointment as it will not see the reopening up many economic sectors such as manufacturing, construction, trading, and services.
Tanjong Batu assemblyman Chiew Chin Sing said the people have suffered enough already after having to close their businesses for so long.
He pointed out many businesses have operated at half capacity and incurred losses due to the many phases of Movement Control Order (MCO).
“When the national MCO was implemented earlier this month again, where many economic sectors and shops were not allowed to open, the last of the nail was already half driven into the coffin, and yet now the recovery plan does not provide any measures to pull up the half sunk nail. These businesses are doomed to close shop,” he said when commenting on the NRP announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.
“Therefore by July all sectors of business activities should be opened already, at least up to 50 per cent with the continuation of vigorous vaccination, strict personal hygiene, social distancing, and keeping social gatherings at bay to stop the spread of the pandemic.”
Chiew said it is very important that when reopening the business sector the people should continue with the new norms.
“We must not allow people not to wear masks, gather together, and neglect personal hygiene until we have defeated the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
He added the people are fatigued by living with Covid-19 for the past year or so, with the ups and downs, u-turns of standard operating procedures, and no light at the end of the tunnel.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin said Putrajaya’s exit strategy from the Covid-19 pandemic would involve four phases, with all sectors possibly reopening in the final phases.
The first phase is the ongoing lockdown, which is being implemented because the number of Covid-19 cases remains high.
The second phase will see tighter control of social activities and movement restrictions, with economic sectors being reopened in stages.
The third phase would see all economic sectors being allowed to operate except those listed as high risk, while the last stage would begin in October when Covid-19 infection numbers are expected to drop to 500 a day and 60 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.
Under the last phase, Muhyiddin said the nation could return to near normalcy with all economic sectors open.