PETALING JAYA: A government decision to maintain the closure of nightclubs has prompted a warning from the entertainment industry that many tourists heading for Southeast Asia will give Malaysia a miss.
Victor Goh, a popular DJ based in Kuala Lumpur, said many tourists would look at the availability of leisure activities in comparing travel destinations.
He noted that the entertainment industry accounted for a significant portion of the country’s tourism revenue.
Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters yesterday that nightclubs were still considered high-risk for Covid-19 transmission and would be the only type of business not allowed to reopen when the country transitions to the endemic phase on April 1.
Goh said the decision might have been politically driven to pacify conservatives.
Asked how he had been coping, he said: “Obviously, nightlife wise, we have not been operating, but in terms of providing entertainment within what is allowed, we have been working around that.
“It’s not all dead for the industry. If nightclubs aren’t allowed to operate, maybe outdoor daytime entertainment can be an option.”
Godwin Pereira, the founder of Kyo, a nightclub at the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur, said he was not surprised by Khairy’s announcement.
“It is unfortunate that operators like me still cannot run our business,” he said.
“The government does not realise that people need to get back to work. I’m sad that we still have to sit down and wait and incur more losses.
“But at least we are heading in a positive direction with the borders reopening.
“Hopefully, the government can do a review of its decision a month after the borders reopen.”
Nightclubs have remained closed since March 2020. FMT
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