Lee Khoi Yun
MIRI: It is not likely that the country will experience another lockdown, as the current economic situation shows that many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cannot afford to shut their business for another three months, said Miri Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) chairman Lee Khoi Yun.
Lee told The Borneo Post this yesterday after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had warned of another lockdown if the Covid-19 situation worsens.
“The three months of movement control order (MCO) is the first-ever of its kind experienced by every person and the pinch from the economic downturn is worse than anything that had happened before.
“The Prime Minister’s warning should be viewed as a kind reminder to everyone that absolute compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) is so important, that it is now a matter of life and death and survival of human population of this generation.
“For local businesses, not everyone has sufficient cash to guarantee their survival without sacrificing their employees.
“So, to make sure that this does not happen, everyone must practise the ‘new normal’, so that we can endure the second and possibly, third wave of the pandemic,” said Lee.
From his observation, Lee pointed out that majority of the people are compliant in comparison to small groups of stubborn people refusing to wear face mask and observe social distancing.
“Those who refuse or do not believe could possibly have issue of trust with the government, which is why it is important that the government practise transparency in disseminating vital information relating to the pandemic, as early warning to the people,” said Lee.
MCCCI, he added, aims to continuously educate its members as well as the public in its own way, in the effort to effectively fight the pandemic.
On the issue of those returning from overseas not complying with home-quarantine order, Lee said stringent quarantine at designated places must be continued to effectively control the spread of the virus.