KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 – UMNO President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is of the opinion that the MCO 2.0 is less effective amid reports on thousands of daily Covid-19 new cases.
As such, he said the government needs to relook into the MCO 1.0 which was more effective and at the same time able to stay at home peacefully with assistance that didn’t down effect the economy.
“Some say the MCO 2.0 is akin to a ‘half boiled egg’, lack of political will and double standard for certain sectors.
“At times, it was tightened and relaxed. Its like the ‘Chipsmore’ advertisement, it comes and go.
“We are aware that sectors contributing to the daily cases are allowed to operate but others are left dangling on the line,” he said in a Facebook posting.
For instance, he said media reports suggested how difficult is it for restaurant owners when they were forced to resume operating although the business took a nosedive up to 90 per cent, and that some of them had incurred losses of hundreds of thousand ringgit.
“I believe they too want to stay at home but they are just like other traders who received small aid from the government. For survival, they have to operate during the hard times of Covid-19.
“Should full moratorium and the condition-free EPF withdrawal are awarded, it will definitely come as a relief to them, However, nothing can be done as ‘a banker takes care of the banks’.”
With no customers, he said those operators are faced with slow business and have to borne wages for their staff and other predicaments.
“They have to go on but times are really bad. They can operate but with lesser number of customers. On top of that, customers would prefer the hawkers more. To blame the hawkers is not right because they are earning a living too.
“In this regards, it would be better if the customers are allowed to enjoy their food at the restaurants by observing full SOP. Only one or two customer per table, probably.
“If they are not allowed to, the government must consider other option to help out those operators,” Zahid, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman said.
