KUCHING: Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) Kuching branch chairman Sim Kiang Chiok has advised against prolonging the movement control order (MCO).
He said doing so might result in the government’s stimulus packages going to waste.
Sim pointed out that the stimulus packages by both the federal and state governments were comprehensive in helping the majority of Malaysians but if the MCO was extended much longer, there would be much stress on those relying on Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) and Sarawakku Sayang assistances to survive.
“Businesses will have much less time to revive their operations during the bank’s six-month moratorium and would need a much longer period of time to restart and gain back the momentum of their previous operations.
“All the good that the stimulus packages can do will have a lesser effect in regaining our previous economic strength before the MCO,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Sim stressed that the question of life versus livelihood had to be weighed and the right balance struck for everyone’s wellbeing in health and income.
Since neither vaccine nor cure for Covid-19 was available yet, he said the only method employed now was to implement the MCO to curb the spread. He pointed out that there had been a downward trend in infections, showing that the MCO was working against the virus.
With regard to the conditional movement control order (CMCO) effective May 4 as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he noted that Sarawak would still decide on its own exit plan.
Sim also pointed out that Sarawak had a different timing from first infection case to peak period compared to West Malaysia, with the first case reported in West Malaysia being earlier than Sarawak.
“In our red zones, we still have numerous close contact suspects to trace, test, and treat, as well as persons under investigation (PUIs) to quarantine or treat,” said Sim.
“We are not out of the woods yet in the battle with this invisible enemy as there is no cure or vaccine available. We will have to live with this virus for at least a year before a safe vaccine can be used.
“We can work for most things in life, but not your life when it is gone. So please strike the right balance and do not take unnecessary risks,” he urged.
He advised those in West Malaysia starting work on May 4 to take precautions by social distancing and taking care of personal hygiene.
On Friday (May 1), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the CMCO, which would allow almost all economic sectors and certain social activities to resume on May 4, subject to conditions and excluding those that involved gatherings.
Yesterday, the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) announced that the state government had decided not to implement the CMCO on May 4 until it had studied the implications of reopening such economic activities, which sectors to open, and when and to what extent they would be allowed to open.
