Blind masseurs express different views on reopening

0

Leeyendi Jisen Abdullah

Isak Ngau

A blind masseur demonstrates foot massage in accordance with the SOP.

KUCHING: Blind masseur Leeyendi Jisen Abdullah from Singai, Bau is glad that he will soon be able to resume working after almost four months stranded at home without gaining any income for his family.

Leeyendi, who owns a reflexology centre in Batu Kawa here, said he had to close shop in order to comply with the Movement Control Order (MCO) which began on March 18 in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the state government’s decision allowing foot massage and reflexology centres to resume operation, he said he will try his best to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the Local Government and Housing Ministry.

“For instance, the requirement to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). We have no problems with using hand gloves and face masks, but it will be cumbersome for us to wear a face shield when we provide our services.

“We usually conduct payment using cash. According to the SOP, we are to utilise digital payment. So this will be hard for us to comply with.

“There are a few procedures that will be difficult for us to comply with, but we will try our best to adhere to the SOP,” he said when met yesterday.

Meanwhile, 43-year-old Isak Ngau who owns two massage centres here said he had yet to open his premises to the public as he will need to meet the requirements stipulated in the SOP.

Isak, who is the Society of the Blind Malaysia (Sarawak branch) chairman, also said the visually-impaired operators will also need to go through health screening.

“Thus, I call on the state government, especially on the local government, to consider giving exemptions for us to undergo Covid-19 health screening and swab tests as it would be costly,” he said.

During the MCO, he said many operators and their workers had lost their income and depended on various assistances, including the Sarawakku Sayang Special Aid (BKSS) which gives out RM250 to the B40 group for six months.

Even after the resumption of operation, he said sales may drop by as much as 30 per cent.

He then called on the state government to consider providing special aid to the visually impaired who operate and own massage and reflexology centres due to the uncertainties of their business during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).

“Such an aid will also assist the operators to have capital flow,” he added.