WITH the proposal to reopen borders from as early as March 1, trade associations and entertainment industry players are questioning why nightclubs and pubs have yet to receive the green light to resume operations.
They are calling for the revamp of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for entertainment outlets to enable their reopening.
With more businesses and social activities resuming, Industries Unite MCO2.0 coordinator Datuk Irwin Cheong said he could not understand why there was a continued ban on licensed entertainment outlets.
“The SOP says that businesses operating with entertainment licences cannot open.
“It is time to revise the SOP, as some points are clearly outdated, instead of imposing a total ban.
“We have sent out multiple letters to the authorities, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Selangor Mentri Besar, but have not received a single response to date,” he lamented.
Industries Unite is a coalition of 117 trade associations and chambers of commerce, as well as associations from the retail and hospitality sectors.
Last year, the group called for the reopening of nightclubs and pubs in an open letter to the Prime Minister.
They argued that since the country had achieved a 94% vaccination rate among adults as of Oct 19, 2021, the reopening of all businesses, including nightclubs and pubs, should be done immediately.
Cheong reiterated the need for the National Recovery Council (NRC) to relook at the new SOP and engage with stakeholders before drawing up a new list of dos and don’ts.
“We now have to look beyond phase four of the National Recovery Plan, where the old SOP on operating hours are still being used,’’ he said, noting that there had been no input from authorities on the SOP beyond phase four.
“Since the government is talking about reopening borders and allowing street bazaars, among other things, it is time that it also considers the entertainment sector, which has been closed for two years.
TREC Holdings Sdn Bhd general manager Kelvin Lam said the company was still waiting for instructions on extended hours.
TREC Holdings is the landlord for TREC KL, a popular entertainment centre in Jalan Tun Razak.
“Longer business hours would help to boost employment and put more money in circulation, thus helping the economy recover faster.
“But the authorities are not allowing food-and-beverage outlets to extend their operating hours.
“When we ask, they say that they are still waiting for an official announcement from Health Ministry,” said Lam.
Meanwhile, Restaurant & Bistro Owners Association vice-president Jeremy Lim said keeping entertainment outlets closed was not only hurting the businesses but also their employees.
“There are still thousands of people who are jobless because of this,” he pointed out.
Lim said the current SOP on entertainment outlets prohibiting all entertainment activities in nightclubs and bars was open to interpretation.
“So are these outlets allowed to open if they have no music deejay or dancing activities?
“If they open, will they be targeted?
“These are the things that we need clarification on.
“Until the government clears the air on this, the future looks bleak for the sector, especially those who are unable to pivot their businesses,” he added.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said the government should not discriminate against sectors and should allow all sectors to open as long as the SOP was adhered to.
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Lim says thousands of employees are affected by the extended closures.
Lam says his company is still waiting for instructions on extended hours.
Cheong wants the ban to be lifted and the SOP revised so entertainment outlets can reopen.
