Tan Kay Hok
KUCHING (June 26): Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) Pending branch chairman Tan Kay Hok urges the public to utilise social media in supporting the local food and beverages (F&B) industry which is badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting that members of the public will still go to coffee shops or foodstalls to get food, he said they could make good use of the various online social platforms to support the businesses with photos, information, or stories about the operators.
This should be done so that more people could learn about such places and support the operators during the pandemic.
“Many mainstream media are helping to support these businesses during this period, through broadcast or advertising to help them get more visibility and customer support.
“This is very commendable and we hope that this good deed will be sustained in the long run to help the F&B industry recover as quickly as possible,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Tan said many restaurant operators lamented that they were facing plummeting incomes and had to cope with huge expenses, including staff salaries, rents, and rising prices. Unable to meet the costs many operators even had to close their businesses.
Although the government has given some subsidies, he said it was not a long-term solution, because the F&B industry still relied heavily on the support of its customers to make a living.
He added that many local restaurants were long-established, and many have been passed to the second or third generation. Many chefs had also inherited the traditional practices and exquisite techniques, and because of that many local cuisine were able to maintain a wealth of delicious traditional foods.
“Unfortunately, the impact of the pandemic has been so severe that many restaurant operators, including those who have been in the business for decades, are facing serious financial hardship.
“Among them are those who are not good at using smart phones and delivery platforms to attract customers, therefore causing them to miss a lot of opportunities to increase turnover,” he said.