KUALA LUMPUR – Gym owners are relieved by the government's decision to allow them to resume operations and they have pumped in more than RM4.5 million to adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as requested by the National Security Council (NSC).
Based on a survey conducted by the Malaysian Fitness Coalition (MFC), gym owners and operators in East and West Malaysia have spent that on sanitising, cleaning and providing other hygienic services in their effort to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 in their premises.
MFC member Yen Kee Toh told The Vibes they received 254 responses from owners and operators of boutique fitness, yoga studios, mixed martial arts studios, CrossFit gyms, multi-national chain operators, franchise owners, individual personal training studios and climbing gyms, among others.
“These 254 respondents currently employ 4,262 individuals, of whom over 95 per cent are Malaysians,” she said.
The Vibes also spoke to gym owners and operators across Malaysia who are relieved with the government's decision to allow them to resume business and thereby aiding their livelihood.
“I have done all the necessary maintenance and sanitisation for the safety of my customers,” said Saffian Othman who owns High Reps Gym and Fitness in Sungai Ara, Penang.
“It’s such a huge relief because we have been closed for nearly five months without any income, and I’m only relying on the little savings I have left to survive.
”Gym operators are also ensuring their premises are sanitised every four to six hours, depending on the area size and the frequency of members using the premises.
Kenny Sia, who owns Level Up Fitness in Sarawak and Sabah, said they have spent some RM30,000 per outlet to install ultraviolet germicidal irradiation lights to sanitise the outlets.
“This is on top of RM400 for hand sanitisers, RM300 for fogging machine disinfectants and RM100 for surface disinfectants monthly that we spend per outlet, excluding labour charges,” he added.
However, not all gyms though can afford to pay that much for sanitisation.
As for Kinabalu Fighters Martial Arts and Fitness Center founder Johan Julian Lee Abdullah, he feels lucky to have members who are willing to help out.
“We are lucky to have members who are willing to do pro-bono sanitisation services, or else it would have cost us around RM1,200 per service,” he said.
However, for gyms in Sabah and Sarawak, the NSC requires further approval for the SOPs from the respective state governments before being allowed to reopen.
“On behalf of all Sabah and Sarawak fitness sector employees and entrepreneurs, we plead to both Sabah and Sarawak Disaster Management Committees to follow NSC's guidelines and allow us to reopen safely with MKN and KBS's SOPs in place,” said Level Up Fitness owner in Sabah and Sarawak, Kenny Sia.
Kenny and many other gym owners hope that the Youth and Sports Ministry, as well as the Health Ministry, recognise that health and fitness are essential in building immunity and prevent the very same comorbidities that cause death.
They hope that the government continues to engage with the private fitness sector via the National Sports and Fitness Venue Owners and Operators Association in keeping the commercial fitness industry open so they could continue supporting the government initiatives such as Bulan Sukan Negara and Visi Sukan Negara 2030. – The Vibes, September 18, 2021.
