KUALA LUMPUR – The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) is calling for the implementation of stricter standard operating procedures to reduce people’s movement instead of a full lockdown in Selangor and other states with high Covid-19 caseloads.
Such a lockdown will cause irreparable damage to the economy, as seen during the first movement control order (MCO 1.0) last year, it said.
“The impact of MCO 1.0, which was an almost full lockdown situation where only essential services were allowed to operate at 50% capacity, was very severe on the economy, resulting in a 17.1% drop in GDP in the second quarter of 2020 and job losses hitting 826,100 in May 2020,” said FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai.
“The government had to pump in various financial aid to help industries, as well as individuals, wade through this unprecedented situation, without which, many businesses would have had to fold their operations.”
To ensure balance is struck between public health and the national economy, the group is calling on the government to reinstate stricter SOPs to limit mobility and encourage people to stay home.
It also suggested that manufacturers reschedule work shifts at their plants, so as to have fewer people working at any one time, and for companies that have the necessary support facilities to allow employees to work from home.
Soh urged Putrajaya to continue with the loan moratorium, wage subsidies, financing assistance, and reduction in business costs and statutory contributions for those in industries seriously impacted by the current MCO and Covid-19 pandemic.
His statement comes on the heels of record-high daily Covid-19 infections yesterday, with Malaysia logging 6,075 cases and 46 deaths. – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
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