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PUTRAJAYA – Nightclub operators may finally have some good news on May 15 when the government is set to decide on whether to allow them to reopen after a long-drawn full restriction for almost two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced at a press conference today that all activities listed on the National Security Council’s (NSC) latest standard operating procedures (SOPs) will be removed from the list on May 15.
When asked if this would include nightclubs, Khairy alluded to a positive answer but said to wait for the new procedures to be finalised closer to that date.
“We have and are currently carrying out engagement sessions with business owners and stakeholders on several protocols, and we will bring it up with the NSC once we have finalised them.
“The priority is that the safety of customers in these premises is ensured,” he said.
Several business and hotel associations have urged the ministry to allow all nightclubs to operate following the reopening of Malaysia’s international borders and easing of SOPs earlier this month.
Among them, the Perlis/Kedah as well as the Penang chapters of the Malaysian Association of Hotels, through their chairmen Eugene Alan Dass and K. Raj Kumar, respectively, had said to The Vibes that nightclubs should be allowed to operate due to the need to enliven the tourism scene.
“We cannot discriminate. I think all places of interest should be treated equally if the borders are to reopen and if we want tourism to rebound strongly,” said Dass.
“An endemic stage means that the country must learn to live with the virus. But by insisting that certain places remain closed, it is as though the government is unsure whether the country is fit enough to co-exist with Covid-19.”
According to the NSC’s SOPs for creative industries in February, live performances such as theatre, musicals, music, comedy, and busking would be permitted, subject to approval from the Malaysian Cultural Development Agency and local authorities.
However, in a list of general SOPs updated on February 23, “entertainment activities” in nightclubs and pubs fall under the negative list and are strictly prohibited. The policy has remained till today.
Khairy also announced that effective Sunday, masks will only be mandatory at indoor venues, and that the scanning of QR codes with the MySejahtera app will no longer be required.
Premise owners need only check the risk status of individuals for verification. Those who are marked as high-risk for Covid-19 will not be allowed entry.
Also, the previous requirement that only permits fully vaccinated individuals to patronise businesses and services in person will be done away with.
Khairy said those with an incomplete vaccination status will no longer be barred from entering premises provided staffers verify the customers’ Covid-19 low-risk status. – The Vibes, April 27, 2022
