Shortlived breathing space for eateries as EMCO kicks in

 

With little to do, one stall operator poses for a photo having caught sight of the FMT photographer. (Photo by Muhammad Rabbani Jamian)

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya’s announcement a few days ago that food and beverage outlets would be allowed to open from 6am to 10pm from Monday was met with sighs of relief from eatery operators here.

The 8pm closing hours had curtailed business for many, especially those that would usually cater exclusively to the dinner crowd.

But in just days, that relief was turned back to despair. The government announced the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), with operating hours reverting to 8am to 8pm in almost all of Selangor and many parts of Kuala Lumpur.

For stall operators at the outdoor SS2 food court, it’s not so much a bump on the road to recovery but more like a mountain they now need to scale.

“It felt like we could just start to breathe, then suddenly we were choking again after they clamped down on the hours,” said 53-year-old Nor, still able to laugh about the situation.

“But I guess we all have to go through this for everyone’s safety.”

Nor has been operating at the outdoor SS2 food court for more than 30 years. (Photo by Muhammad Rabbani Jamian)

She has been selling drinks and fried noodles here for more than 30 years now, having opened the stall with her husband and keeping the business running even after his passing.

Needless to say, business has not been easy for her in the past year, with dine-ins scarcely allowed for most of the past 12 months and movement restrictions limiting her number of customers.

The shorter hours mean that she and her 20-year-old daughter will have to set up shop at 3pm rather than her usual 5pm. The 8pm closing time is a far cry from how she used to stay open up to 3am on some days.

Relying simply on takeaways, business has been slow and she does not expect much improvement. But she cannot afford to close because this is her only source of income.

“Business will stay slow because people just don’t have money now – just look at the White Flag campaign. But I can’t close shop, we can still continue operating. But times are just so bad.

“Some of my customers tell me that they’re out of a job. I’ve had customers who worked at massage centres asking if they could work for me. I apologised and sadly told them that I cannot afford to hire them.”

But Nor stays cheerful despite her predicament, grateful that she has already been fully vaccinated under Phase Two of the immunisation programme.

Nor’s is not the only long-running stall there, with at least two others, Pak Lang and Mohd Ibrahim, having operated at the popular late-night spot for the past 30 years.

Farra, 44, who operates a grilled fish stall, told FMT that the 8pm closing time was harsh for them as their usual clientele would only show up around 6pm to 7pm previously.

From being able to make more than RM1,000 a day, a good day now would see her earning RM200.

“Now it’s just 10% of our usual earnings. Sometimes we can’t even reach 10%.”

Due to the high costs of her business with fish an expensive item, she will be keeping the stall closed throughout the EMCO as the cost outweighs the earnings.

But she admits that she has an advantage over Pak Lang or Ibrahim because she is much younger and they find it hard to utilise online resources to support their business.

“For us younger ones, we can still promote our business online, but the older ones don’t know how to do so. The government should have just locked down everything earlier on.

“Some of the uncles here earn less than RM50 a day. They still have to pay their workers and their bills. So this situation really doesn’t help,” she lamented.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim is concerned about how he and his wife are going to keep their stall open, noting the one-person-per-car limit during the EMCO and fearing the additional roadblocks.

Ibrahim gives a customer her drink, almost drawing envious eyes from other stalls. (Photo by Muhammad Rabbani Jamian)

His wife does the cooking and he handles the drinks and he is confused if they will still be allowed to drive home after 8pm.

According to the government, eateries may operate from 8am to 8pm but people are not allowed to travel after 8pm unless for emergencies or given permission by the police. And the number of people in a car is restricted to one person.

Speaking briefly to FMT, Pak Lang said he was saddened to see the current Covid-19 situation and also the implications on businesses like his.

The bubbly Kedah-born man blamed their predicament on politicians, despairing over the lack of income that is ahead with the EMCO. - FMT