KUALA LUMPUR:EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EuroCham Malaysia) has warned that a second lockdown similar to that imposed in March and April last year may lead to a potential collapse of the Malaysian economy as many businesses would shut down.
Chief executive officer Sven Schneider said the states most affected by COVID-19 were also the commercial and industrial hubs of the nation, which would multiply the impact of any strict lockdown to be implemented.
“We hope that the government will look into the matter with great consideration (amid growing concern of a potential second strict lockdown),” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said while Eurocham Malaysia supported the government’s decision to respond to the COVID-19 threat to public health by utilising proven strategies, it was not in favour of a restrictive full lockdown, which would likely not balance the needs of Malaysia’s recovering economy.
Schneider said at present, businesses were still restructuring and recuperating from the impact of the first lockdown due to the pandemic.
“Among the many challenges most businesses faced during the full lockdown were substantial revenue and financial losses, logistics challenges and supply chain interruptions as well as retrenchments, to name a few,” he said.
He said despite the losses that they had faced, many businesses and especially the European business community had learned to not only abide by the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government but to also adopt even stricter internal measures within the office or manufacturing site to ensure the health and safety of employees.
Schneider said in light of this positive development, EuroCham Malaysia felt that instead of a complete lockdown, a more targeted Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) with an enhancement of its SOPs focusing on stricter measures on travel and social activities would be ideal, as it would allow businesses to continue rebuilding and stimulating the economy again.
“If a second lockdown is to be implemented similar to March/April 2020, it will cause serious implications to both the nation and the economy,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sat Jan 09 2021
If a second lockdown is to be implemented similar to March/April 2020, it will cause serious implications to both the nation and the economy. BERNAMA file pic
KPDN serbu premis jual produk berlabel 'No Palm Oil'
Kesemua produk aiskrim terbabit telah disita untuk siasatan lanjut dengan nilai rampasan berjumlah RM897.60.
FAM penuhi permintaan Pan-gon
Permintaan Kim Pan-gon yang mahu penerbangan sewa khas untuk ke Kyrgyzstan juga telah ditunaikan oleh FAM.
Cuaca panas dunia bakal cecah suhu ekstrem
El Nino akan mendorong kurangnya hujan dan berlakunya episod kemarau yang lebih teruk daripada biasa.
AWANI Pagi: Reformasi sistem pendidikan melalui inovasi
Memahami peranan inovasi untuk reformasi sistem pendidikan yang mampan. Diskusi bersama Datuk Dr. Ahmad Ramzi, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif UMT Holdings dan Zul Fikri Zamir, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif 'Untuk Malaysia' 8.30 pagi nanti
Polis kesan pemandu treler sebabkan serpihan besi jatuh di LPT
Polis memohon kerjasama mana-mana pihak yang melihat kejadian tersebut untuk tampil bagi membantu siasatan.
Warga emas nyaris maut digigit tikus
Doktor yang melakukan ujian awal mendapati buah pinggang lelaki itu telah rosak selain mempunyai platelet darah rendah.
Pelajar Columbia sifatkan NYPD kejam, ngeri
Polis New York City menahan berpuluh-puluh penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin yang bersembunyi di Hamilton Hall, Columbia.
AWANI Ringkas: Selesaikan isu bekalan air, susulan cuaca panas
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
AWANI Pagi: Berita tumpuan & menarik di astroawani.com [3 Mei 2024]
Antara fokus Awani Pagi bersama Geegee Ahmad & Nursyazwani Saiful Sham
Microsoft umum pelaburan AI, infrastruktur awan AS$2.2 bilion di Malaysia
PM arah Agensi Pintu Masuk dan Sempadan Malaysia jalan tugas serta-merta
Siti Bainun kekal bersalah abai, aniaya Bella
Microsoft umum pelaburan AI, infrastruktur awan AS$2.2 bilion di Malaysia
PM arah Agensi Pintu Masuk dan Sempadan Malaysia jalan tugas serta-merta
Siti Bainun kekal bersalah abai, aniaya Bella
Delegasi Hamas akan ke Mesir untuk rudingan gencatan senjata - Ismail Haniyeh
Delegasi Hamas akan ke Mesir bagi meneruskan perbincangan secara tidak langsung dengan Israel untuk gencatan senjata di Semenanjung Gaza.