NSC's decision on sectors to increase capacity is timely - Amcham

The American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) has lauded the National Security Council’s (NSC) decision to allow all approved sectors to increase their operational capacity and operate fully without time constraints.

It said the decision would ensure business continuity and sustainability that are crucial in rebuilding the country’s economy and enabling small and medium enterprises in Malaysia to reignite and revive their businesses and regain lost ground.

“Malaysia plays an integral role in the global supply chain whether it is American manufacturers operating in Malaysia, which are supplying essential goods and services around the world, or local producers directly supplying US companies around the globe,” it said in a statement here, today.

Chief executive officer Siobhan Das said Amcham's member companies are fully invested in Malaysia and committed in the fight against the pandemic hand-in-hand with the government.

“There are still many sectors that need to be opened to support the new normal and a much more digitised world. We will continue to work together with the government to incorporate both direct and ancillary services, many of which support the manufacturing sector,” she said.

She described the service industry as equally important to the future of the country.

However, she said it was imperative that health and safety protocols prescribed by the Ministry of Health continue to be adhered to by all.

“Amcham’s member companies are committed to adhering to all government-set guidelines and standard operating procedures to combat this pandemic.

“We share the government’s sentiment of putting public health first while balancing the nation’s economy in order to protect the people’s livelihood while ensuring the economy remains vibrant and sustainable.

“We are confident that continued, close engagement between the industries involved will support this campaign against Covid-19 and build a brighter future for the country,” she added.

In a separate statement, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) also welcomed the decision to allow businesses, which were granted approval to operate under the movement control order (MCO) phases one to three, to resume full operations and not subject to restrictions in terms of operating hours.

“The industry is most grateful to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) and the government for relaxing the conditions and for the strong support in ensuring business viability and continuity, preservation of jobs, and for the overall survival of the economy,” FMM president Soh Thian Lai said.

He reiterated FMM’s call for the non-essential product manufacturers to be allowed to resume operations at 50 per cent capacity.

Echoing Amcham’s advice, the FMM also reminded the industry to strictly continue observing the Covid-19 precautionary measures stipulated by MITI and the MoH.

“Since the government, with the support of the rakyat and the business community, has been able to control the spread of Covid-19, we strongly believe that it can continue to open more sectors during the MCO phase four period,” Soh said.

He said many companies were now on the brink of survival and needed to urgently revive their businesses to avoid resorting to drastic decisions and measures that would be disastrous to both the economy and the people. - Bernama