KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (July 3): The Malaysian government has received a “urgent and desperate request” from retail and shopping mall organisations to reopen the retail sector by July 15, or when 10% of the population has been properly vaccinated. According to figures issued earlier today by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee, 18.7% of the population had gotten their first dosage of the Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday (July 2), and 7.5 percent had been fully vaccinated after receiving their second dose (JKJAV).
A collection of shopping malls and retailers groups held a combined press conference today to express their delight at the news that the vaccination campaign had been accelerated and that more than 10% of the population would likely be vaccinated with two doses by July 15.
“In light of the progress made in vaccination, we are making a desperate appeal for all malls and retail outlets to reopen by July 15, 2021, or when the 10% vaccination target is achieved, whichever comes first (except for those operations that cannot meet the social distancing criteria and would be crowded),” the group said.
The Malaysian Shopping Malls Association (PPK), Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Bumiputera Retailers Organization (BRO), Malaysian REIT Managers Association (MRMA), and Malaysian Association of Theme Park and Family Attractions are all members of the group (MATFA).
The group claims that the country’s current enhanced mobility control order (EMCO) is harming the retail industry unnecessarily.
“Going ahead, we trust that any lockdowns will be wisely selected based on the region and neighborhoods that are contaminated with major clusters, rather than imposing excessively countrywide lockdowns and penalizing low-risk areas.
“Those economic sectors who have rigorously functioned under strict SOPs (standard operating procedures) and achieved a low-risk environment should be commended, not forced to suffer for those who have caused illnesses owing to their indolent non-compliance with the SOPs,” they stated.
According to data from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the retail and shopping sector, which includes outside shopping locations, accounted for only 0.8 percent of all cases in May 2021.
“The retail and mall industry’s strong adherence to the SOPs is attested to by this greatly improved and extraordinarily low statistic,” they stated.
They pointed out that the retail sector generated 34.6 percent of Malaysia’s GDP (RM497 billion) in 2018.
“It cannot be denied that the shopping mall and retail industry contributes greatly to our economy and new brand and retailer foreign direct investment (FDI), and we must make every effort to maintain the sector’s success. Because our market is very small, recruiting global companies to our country to offer diversity and attract tourists is difficult; thus, we must make every effort to maintain those who currently have a presence in our country. Without tourist arrivals, this is even more crucial, because we can only rely on domestic spending to get us through this difficult period “explained the collective.
It also mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) had warned against lockdowns because they would cause severe economic harm, especially to people in lower-income groups.
“We must realize that [Covid-19] will continue to be a part of our life in the future, and the economy cannot afford to be closed indefinitely. Otherwise, we expect nearly 500,000 workers in the shopping mall and retail industries to be laid off at some point “It went on to say that mass layoffs are often accompanied by business failures and store closures, including mega shopping malls and retail brands, from which the industry may never recover.
“All of us, whether malls or retail operators, have been bravely battling essential financial flows for the past 16 months just to stay afloat, and any further delay will simply be the death knell for our businesses and the industry as a whole.
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We can’t afford to give up, so we’re pleading with the authorities once more to give us a fighting opportunity to help ourselves survive and begin the perilous road to recovery. Based on the foregoing, we humbly request that the authorities allow the entire retail sector, which is not in jeopardy, to reopen as soon as possible, particularly shopping malls and retail shops, including street-front shops, indoor playland, and family entertainment attractions, in strict accordance with the strict SOPs “added the group./n
