MUKAH: A takeaway beverage seller has described the movement control order (MCO) due to the Covid-19 pandemic as “taking away his life”.
Fabian Laberi, in his 40s, has been operating his modest business for about two years when suddenly he, like many others in the economic sector nationwide, was ordered to shut operations until further notice.
He said the MCO, which was enforced on March 18, really affected his tea business.
Fabian, assisted by his spouse, was trading at a 10 x 10 square feet lot at a semi-open location surrounded by three commercial buildings here before the MCO was enforced.
The couple initially sold cookies and preserved mango and baun (sour jungle fruit) before diversifying into a variety of mixed tea beverages, ranging from Borneo honey ice tea, fresh milk green tea, coklat nikmat kaw sebenar to boba milk brown sugar.
“I have to think hard and find alternatives in order to earn some income during the MCO,” he told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
Fabian added that he even tried planting vegetables using fertigation method, in order to fill his time, but could not continue due to certain reasons.
He revealed that they managed to cope with life during the MCO through limited savings earned during the last two years.
According to him, the MCO was a bit of a blessing in disguise for him because it opened a door of opportunity.
He opened Poukok Garden Drive Through at his father’s house in town when the government allowed businesses to operate for takeaways during the conditional MCO.
However, he said business was not so good compared to the old location near the busy commercial areas.
Fabian finally resumed his business at the former location two days ago when the government allowed him and other businesses nationwide to operate under the current recovery MCO.
He revealed that business was slowly picking up.
