PETALING JAYA: The unrelenting advance of the Covid-19 assault has forced businesses to soften their opposition to tighter controls.
In a step back from an earlier resistance to more drastic measures, some businesses have now come out in support of a stricter movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of infections.
The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations (FMBA) conceded that the crisis has reached a point where measures to save lives should take precedence over making profits.
“It is better to suffer some losses now and still have the capability to recoup in the future, rather than let the situation drag on (indefinitely),” FMBA pro-tem chairman Datuk Abdul Malik Abdullah told theSun.
“In this life-versus-livelihood debate, life must take precedence. Extreme situations call for extreme action,” he said.
Abdul Malik pointed out that the nation has the capability to rebuild the economy, the financial institutions and its social standing, but it cannot restore lives that have been lost.
FMBA is a coalition that represents 262 business associations and chambers of commerce comprising 950,000 companies across all sectors.
“We fully support any move to ensure a faster and more efficient vaccination programme that provides wider coverage. However, this must come with an effective tool such as a stricter lockdown to break the infection chain,” he added.
He said a combination of these strategies will give the country time to rebuild its healthcare resources and quicken the pace to achieve herd immunity.
However, in an open letter to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the coalition said tightened restrictions must also be accompanied by financial relief programmes which the government should be responsible for.
As a safety net for businesses, the government could offer soft loans and extend the wage subsidy programme until the end of the year, it said.
The group also said that a freeze on recurring costs until next year would help non-essential businesses stay afloat. These include Employees Provident Fund, Social Security Organisation and Employment Insurance System contributions by employers as well as discounts on expenditure for utilities such as electricity, telecommunications and broadband.
Abdul Malik said the government could also ensure that banks extend the moratorium on interest payments until the end of the year.
Small and Medium Enterprises Association Malaysia secretary-general Yeoh Seng Hooi pointed out that having one lockdown after another is not the way to address the problem.
“Instead, we should conduct wider screening and quicken the pace of vaccination,” he said.
“Financial assistance is only a band aid. Without quicker vaccination (to help achieve herd immunity), the economy will not recover,” he said.
He proposed that the vaccination processed be decentralised and state governments be allowed to purchase vaccines for faster rollout of the immunisation process. “The state machinery, private hospitals and general practitioners can be roped in to help with the vaccination.”
Yeoh pointed out that a faster rate of vaccination has enabled countries such as the United Kingdom and Portugal to ease restrictions.
The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) reiterated its view that while it understands the need for stricter controls, it is not in favour of a total lockdown.
“A total lockdown will cause irreparable damage to the economy,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.
FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the MCO 2.0 model that allowed economic sectors to continue operations under stricter observance of the standard operation procedures is more appropriate.
He also wants the government to continue dispensing financial aid such as the moratorium on loan repayment, wage subsidy and reduced cost of business.
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