KUALA LUMPUR – Several business and hotel associations have urged the Health Ministry to allow all nightclubs to operate once international borders are reopened and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are eased by next month.
Federation of Malaysian Business Associations vice-chairman Raymond Woo pointed out that with the reopening of the country’s borders, the government should consider the role of nightclubs in Malaysia’s night-scene offerings.
Tourists travel here to unwind and have a good time. If we keep our nightclubs closed and lose out on being able to provide this element, then we may be an undesirable travel location.
“In comparison with other countries, we will also be at a disadvantage,” he told The Vibes, adding that engagement with relevant industry players is an important step forward that the government would be wise to take.
“Nightclub owners are also business owners whose operations and livelihoods have been badly affected by the pandemic.
“The government should look into how nightclubs can safely restart operations by listening to stakeholders.”
Why limit nightclubs’ potential when they can modify their venture?
Speaking to The Vibes, Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association vice-president Jeremy Lim said that instead of imposing an all-out prohibition on nightclubs, the government should instead allow venues to adjust their business ventures.
“People who run nightclubs are still entrepreneurs and should be given a chance to contribute to the nation in whatever way that they can.
Why do we want to put them in a box and limit their potential when we can instead allow such businesses to modify their ventures?”
Lim also highlighted how those in the music industry who used to perform at nightclubs for a living have been adversely affected by the extended closure of their routine places of employment.
“Music is very much a livelihood for some people, and not all musicians can resort to busking.
“If there are worries of certain activities, like dancing, causing more infections, then just ban the activity instead of prohibiting the entire industry from operating,” he said, noting that DJs in particular have had a hard time surviving throughout the pandemic.
Treat all places of interest equally to help tourism rebound
Meanwhile, two chapters of the Malaysian Association of Hotels express similar sentiments as well.
The Perlis/Kedah as well as the Penang chapters, through its chairmen Eugene Alan Dass and K. Raj Kumar, respectively, said that nightclubs should 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.
“If there are concerns on whether nightclubs can breed clusters, then health authorities should impose a set of strict SOPs on such premises.
“Importantly, they must be enforced. Rules are rules. We need to respect the SOPs,” Dass said, when contacted.
Raj said that nightclubs can offer a place for everyone to unwind, and if regulated well, there should not be any abuses arising from their operations, whether in terms of crime or public health.
Meanwhile, a local musician, who preferred not to be named, said as nightclubs offer employment to budding artistes, they should not be viewed in a negative light.
The musician said that the world of culture, arts and entertainment has been badly affected by the pandemic.
Such is why the authorities should not prolong their agony, he said.
Even if nightclubs are prevented from operating, the operators would go underground and hold private parties.
“It may worsen the infection rate, as such gatherings go unsupervised with no SOPs.”
“Such gatherings can occur in high-rise condominiums or bungalows, where privacy is maintained,” he said.
MAH vice-president Khoo Boo Lim said that tourists should be given options regarding places they could patronise, adding that withholding bona fide nightclubs from operating is unfair to the industry. – The Vibes, March 12, 2022
Additional reporting by Ian McIntyre
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