Entry pass to shop with peace of mind at mall

The 1 Utama Health QR helps with crowd management, as visitors just need to show their green QR code before entering any tenant’s premises.

PETALING Jaya’s 1 Utama Shopping Centre tapped into the talents of its in-house team to develop the 1 Utama Health QR feature which uses QR code technology.

“It aims to assist the government with contact tracing and complies with all the standard operating procedures set by the Health Ministry,” said Bandar Utama City Centre Sdn Bhd operations general manager Samantha Lee.

“The Health QR has also been rolled out across all 12 commercial properties under the Bandar Utama group, with each property having its own unique code.”

Upon entering 1 Utama, a person’s temperature will be taken by a security guard.

They will then have to scan a QR code placed near the mall’s entrances using a phone with a QR code reader as well as complete and submit a self-declaration form that includes providing their phone number and answering some health-related questions.

Those who receive a green QR code can proceed into the mall.

Shoppers are also advised to save a copy of the green QR code, which is valid for an entire day, as they will have to show the code each time they want to enter any shop in 1 Utama.

“If a person receives a red QR code, the security guard will check their temperature again. Those who get the red status twice will be advised to seek medical attention,” said Lee.

She assured that the Health QR was in compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010.

“The data is stored inside our server and can be accessed only by the mall management, not the tenants,” said Lee.

“The Health Ministry can issue an order to request the data if there is a need to do so.”

On the benefits of using the 1 Utama Health QR, she said that it was convenient, fast and contactless.

“This also helps with crowd management, as shoppers don’t need to queue up outside each shop to fill up a form. They just need to show their green QR code.

“It’s like having an entry pass to shop with peace of mind,” said Lee.

“The QR code can be used by almost everyone as most people have smartphones. Those without smartphones or QR code readers can write down their details manually.”

The 1 Utama Health QR was rolled out on May 4, the first day of the conditional movement control order (MCO), to 1 Utama’s management company employees, followed by tenants and lastly, shoppers and vendors on May 7.

“When the government imposed health screening and customer management as part of the conditional MCO, we anticipated that there would be a possible inconvenience for both shoppers and retailers.

“Hence we decided to develop the QR feature to make the screening process less tedious.

“We were able to do it quickly as it was done by the same team that developed our 1 Utama mobile app,” Lee said, adding that the Health QR feature can be accessed via the 1 Utama app or any QR code reader.

To ensure people understand how it works, Lee said the mall’s management is conducting briefings via Zoom and training for its 200-plus tenants as well as educating shoppers via social media platforms.

“We will instal more QR scanning points and have crowd management plans to reduce the chances of people converging in large numbers when completing the Health QR process,” she said.

When asked about similar QR code systems introduced by other companies and government agencies, Lee said 1 Utama’s Health QR offered another option to retailers.

“It is also more comprehensive as it includes a health declaration form and temperature record.”