Restaurateurs welcome dine-in move despite strict guidelines

Getting ready: Restaurant manager Neelas, J. Neelavanen marking a table while a worker does the floor to maintain social distancing as restaurants will be allowed to reopen for dine-ins. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star.

PETALING JAYA: Restaurateurs are cheering the move to allow customers to dine-in beginning Monday, despite the strict conditions they have to follow.

Malaysian Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said they would follow the rules, challenging as they are, such as collecting a customer’s details.

“We will do our level best, but it may be hard to get our customers’ particulars, ” he said, adding that he would not know how cooperative clients will be.

He said smaller shops may also find it difficult to implement the two-metre distance between tables, as some may not even be able to accommodate four tables.

However, Jawahar lauded the fact that eateries can open from 7am to 10pm, saying that business would likely pick up after the fasting month.

Malaysia Singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors’ General Association president, Datuk Ho Su Mong, also agreed that it may be difficult to record customers’ details.

“It is a good way for contact tracing if there happens to be any Covid-19 case. However, it may be challenging for smaller shops because they may not have a clerk.

“This means that shop proprietors themselves have to do the extra work, ” he said.

Strict social distancing rules, he said, are also important, especially since the government is allowing up to four people per table, depending on the table size.

“The conditions given by the government are quite strict, but we will definitely encourage our members to follow all of them, ” he said, adding that he expects business to pick up by about 30%.

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) president T. Muthusamy asked for the authorities to take a more educational approach, rather than a punitive one, during the initial stages.

“Primas welcomes the decision taken by our government (to allow dine-in), otherwise many restaurant owners’ business will be crippled.

“But a huge responsibility is now being transferred to the business community. We have to make sure we follow the guidelines strictly.

“We ask for the authorities to have an educational and friendly approach in the early stages of implementation.

“Authorities need to give time for guidance, ” he said, adding that restaurant owners may make mistakes in the initial stages.

In Sibu, the Sarawak Coffeeshop and Restaurant Owners’ Association is equally relieved that dining-in can resume, with its chairman Tong Ing Kok saying the move paves the way for eateries to get back to business slowly.

In his speech yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said operators must limit the number of customers per table, based on the size of the tables.

Queues for paying also need to be demarcated so that a minimum distance of one metre is maintained between each customer.

And it will be the norm for hand sanitisers to be provided at payment counters, while temperatures will be taken at the entrance.

As for the infrared thermometer used for this purpose, Tong said although they cost more than RM300 each, businesses will have to own one.

“These are not a problem for us as we are now operating in a pandemic situation. We have no choice as we need to help prevent the spread of the virus, ” he said when contacted.

When the MCO was enforced on March 18, eateries could only offer takeaways and delivery.

“We welcome the announcement made by the Prime Minister pertaining to eateries. We could not depend on takeaways as business volume has been very low, ” said Tong, who also concurred that obtaining the contact details of customers can be very tedious.

On hand sanitisers, Tong opined that eateries would certainly incur extra expenses as a bottle of sanitiser with 75% alcohol content costs between RM40 to RM50.

“The provision of hand sanitiser is a basic thing even if the Prime Minister did not state so. We are now operating under a new normal where hygiene is top priority.”

On the distancing between tables, he said it will result in the shops having fewer tables, “but we will abide by it”.

In Penang, eatery operators also said it would be “a bit tricky” when it comes to getting names and phone numbers of diners, but pledged to do their level best, with Kassim Mustafa Nasi Kandar restaurant owner, Datuk Salim Manshoor, expecting some customers to either refuse outright or give false information.

Salim added that he was not entirely clear how the MCO would be enforced now, and expressed hope that the authorities would be more accommodating.

“If we are not doing it right, please don’t fine us right away. Teach us instead. We are all learning, ” said Salim, who has been in the business for over 30 years.

Another restaurant operator, Rithauddin Mohd Sickandar, 32, said he welcomed the latest decision as many business operators had suffered huge losses.

Like Salim, Rithauddin said he was also waiting for more clarity from the Penang Island City Council on how he should run his outlet.