KUALA LUMPUR - The gym and fitness fraternity’s excitement about reopening for business was short-lived as gyms in states under Phase Two and Three of the National Recovery Plan was not allowed to reopen today.
Earlier today, the Youth and Sports minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu told The Vibes that he will push for the gyms to reopen soon as the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guidelines have been approved by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council.
This has not gone down well with the gym and fitness fraternity as it is disruptive to their preparation to resume operations.
Speaking to The Vibes, the National Sports and Fitness Venue Owners and Operators Association president Datuk V. Radhakrishnan said the decision “should have come sooner” as the SOP guidelines had initially been submitted to the ministry last year.
“The SOPs which were recommended and requested had already been submitted last year and we have been making some modifications up until a couple of weeks ago including the ventilation guidelines,” said Radhakrishnan.
“Other industries have already been allowed to open, so the question in everybody’s mind is why not the gyms? What is the stumbling block?
“We would like to know so we could rectify it. What are the obstacles faced by the Ministry of Youth and Sports? Perhaps if they relay to us the issues we can be of assistance and come up with proper planning for the reopening,” he added.
“It’s quite depressing because everyone got excited and then this happens.”
Radhakrishnan, who is also a member of the Youth and Sports ministry’s panel of experts committee, further adds although the ministry has been consistently supportive of their suggestions and understanding of the industry’s predicaments, they should continue to do so for the sake of everyone’s livelihood.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Fitness Coalition member Yen Kee Toh told The Vibes that they “have agreed to wait for a few more days” to give some space to the relevant ministries to work on their issues.
“Perhaps we will wait until Monday for any new developments before we proceed with our next steps,” Yen Kee said.
Last night, after having said that gyms were allowed to begin operations today, Youth and Sports deputy minister Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker issued a correction that gym operators will only be allowed to resume operations once the new SOPs had been approved by the NSC. – The Vibes, September 17, 2021.
