KUALA LUMPUR – Nightclubs nationwide are back in full swing following the National Security Council’s (NSC) announcement permitting the reopening of such premises from last Saturday onwards, allowing patrons to hit dance floors without any worries.
A visit by The Vibes’ team to various nightlife hotspots around the country on Sunday saw a hive of activity in such establishments, although the fanfare was fairly subdued due to it being a Sunday night.
The activity over the weekend marked a steady return to normal for nightlife establishments, which had been dealt a severe blow by the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, venue operators on Saturday – especially in Kuala Lumpur – saw the number of patrons swell to pre-Covid-19 numbers.
Richpal Singh, the owner of the LIT nightclub and The VIP Room in Changkat Bukit Bintang, said his establishments were filled to the brim on Saturday, while crowd numbers were moderate on Sunday.
The former deejay and event organiser, who opened LIT in 2013 and The VIP Room in 2017, said he was relieved by the government’s decision to remove nightclubs from its negative list, as it has saved his business and reinstated the income of dozens of his employees.
He said LIT, famed for its Bollywood theme, can fit up to 300 people at a time, while The VIP Room’s maximum capacity is 500 people. Both venues, he said, were full on the first day of the relaxed rules.
Richpal, who holds an entertainment licence allowing his outlets to operate till the wee hours of the morning, also said the turnout at both LIT and The VIP Room over the weekend was encouraging, as it was a sign that he could repay the loans he had taken to ensure they could remain in business.
“I was in debt to pay off rent and salaries but I know the good times are coming. That’s why I decided to hold on (to the businesses),” Richpal, who is affectionately known as Bobby, told The Vibes when met at one of his nightclubs.
We have been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
SOPs still in place
Late last week, the NSC issued a one-page guideline regarding the reopening of such premises, with patrons being required to mask-up, except while dining, drinking and dancing.
The 100%-capacity ruling also applies to the dance floors in nightclubs, meaning there will no longer be any restrictions on the activity.
For entry, all premises need to ensure that all workers and customers have the MySejahtera contact-tracing app installed in their smartphones while enabling the MySJ Trace feature when in the venues.
Operators must also ensure workers and patrons are of low-risk status on the app.
Richpal noted that while authorities had provided flexibility for his establishments to operate without hindrance, he ensured that his staff followed the guidelines set by the NSC, including requirements for patrons to test negative on RTK-Ag tests within 24 hours prior to entering his premises.
He also showed The Vibes boxes containing at least 100 self-test kits that patrons could purchase for RM5 each, which are sold at cost price.
“We strictly deny entry to stubborn customers who refuse to do the tests,” he said, adding that his security team ensured that those entering the venues were a “healthy” crowd who were not troublemakers.
Alfaisal Zulkarnain, the manager of Rockstar Changkat, said his venue had patrons hitting the dance floor on both Saturday and Sunday.
He said this was the first time that the venue, which opened earlier this year, had customers enjoying themselves freely without any concerns about breaching standard operating procedures.
However, although the requirement for the RTK-Ag tests was understandable, customers faced difficulties updating their health status on the MySejahtera contact tracing app, he said.
“The app is slow to update on the statuses of the customers so sometimes we have had to turn them away because it is not updated in time,” Alfaisal said.
“The police force has come in to educate us on the system, but it is pointless if customers cannot have their statuses updated within the 24-hour timeframe.”
Regardless, Alfaisal said Rockstar Changkat still practised its own social distancing rules, requiring patrons to remain one metre apart, especially when dancing in the nightclub. – The Vibes, May 17, 2022
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