KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) has called for the reopening of non-essential sectors and dine-in “rewards” for the vaccinated, while state borders are kept closed amid the rise of Covid-19 variants.
MEF president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman says authorities should open economic sectors within states to give businesses the chance to recover while revitalising the job market.
“We strongly urge authorities to allow businesses that are now closed to be opened without further delay because they have been suffering for almost two years now,” he said in a statement today.
He also said that those who have received both doses of the vaccine should be “rewarded” by being allowed to dine in at restaurants.
He urged authorities to open up all non-essential sectors such as sports, barbers and salons – but not the night entertainment industry.
“We cannot wait to move to Phase 2 or 3 of the National Recovery Plan based on the daily number of Covid-19 infections because with more screenings conducted, positive results will increase accordingly,” he said.
Syed Hussain said the rise in cases is to be expected, and we have to accept the reality that the virus has become endemic in our communities.
He also said travel within the state should not be restricted, except in red zones. However, interstate travel should be the last restriction to be removed.
“In taking this approach, we can isolate the spread of infection to see patterns of concern,” he said.
Syed Hussain stressed MEF takes the view of the Health Ministry on the variants seriously due to the many uncertainties around the safety and health of employees, even those who have been fully vaccinated.
“At the same time, we also need the economy to open and for livelihoods to normalise.”
He also said MEF agrees with the Health Ministry’s concerns that Covid-19 could still spread, with the Delta variant as the current dominant strain in the country.
MEF is also concerned with other variants of the virus, such as Alpha, Zeta, Delta Plus, and other unknown strains that have been detected in various parts of the world, he added.
“We need to carefully study this phenomenon and the cause of its spread so we can better plan for our protection,” he said – The Vibes, August 8, 2021
