Public question pasar malam rationale as daily Covid-19 cases breach 5k

 

As authorities struggle to strike a balance between lives and livelihood, many feared that reopening pasar malam could be a misstep in attempts to stem the spread of Covid-19. - NSTP/ASWADI ALIAS.

KUALA LUMPUR: With Malaysia clocking more than 5,000 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, members of the public are distressed over the National Security Council's decision to allow pasar malam to operate from 4pm to 10pm during the Movement Control Order 2.0 (MCO).

As authorities struggle to strike a balance between lives and livelihood, many feared that reopening pasar malam could be a misstep in attempts to stem the spread of Covid-19.

A woman who gave her name as Zee said allowing night markets to operate during MCO 2.0 would only render it as "another version" of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).

"People can move around freely and interact with each other at pasar malam, for example, while exchanging cash when making purchases.

"If we want to allow night markets to operate, it would be better for the government to replace the MCO with a CMCO, but maintain the ban on interstate travel.

"Alternatively, if the government still wants to allow night markets to operate, then they should provide incentives for hawkers to switch to cashless payment mechanism," she told the New Straits Times.

Another individual, who only wanted to be known as Joruno, said it was unwise to allow night markets to operate before arresting the surge in Covid-19 cases.

"Indeed, reopening night markets can boost the economy and help small traders to weather hard times. But with new cases so high, is this really a timely move?

"At this point, it seems like the government is relenting to everything that the people ask, like reopening the night markets and promising to shorten the MCO period."

Nevertheless, Bumiputera Petty Traders Association president Datuk Mohd Baba Kutty welcomed the reopening of night markets but expressed dissatisfaction over the current standard operating procedures (SOPs) for those markets.

"Since street vendors are mushrooming at the moment, I don't see any problem in allowing pasar malam traders to also earn a living. But I hope these businesses will be allowed to operate until midnight.

"Furthermore, I think the government should review the SOPs for wet markets. Currently, wet markets are only allowed to operate until 2pm.

"But many foreign nationals are cashing in on this regulation by selling fish and other goods around the Pudu and Chow Kit markets after 2pm.

"In that way, they make their money while the wet market traders are at the losing end.

"Kuala Lumpur City Hall should come up with a directive that no wet market goods should be sold outside market premises after the stipulated operating hours," he said.

Baba Kutty also called on the government to consult stakeholders, such as traders associations, to better understand the situation of small businesses on the ground before formulating the SOPs. - NST