MY regular masseuse, Anna, is visually impaired but has loads of insight and wisdom, as well as above average drive and motivation.
She is one of those severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and has been looking at various government aid schemes to sustain herself and her business.
The sole breadwinner of a family that includes her husband and two children, she simply refuses to allow life to take its own course. Every move in her life is premeditated.
She runs a small massage centre in a tiny enclosure in Brickfields where the sightless find camaraderie amongst one another.
A great conversationalist, she keeps herself updated with the latest news.
With less customers post-MCO, it has been tough for her but she would not give up on life, even if life occasionally threatens to give up on her.
During my recent visit, Anna said she had been busy preparing the proposal to apply for a government grant.
She had applied for such grants before and had been successful.
What is most astonishing about this is how she is able to put together the proposal, including filling up the numerous forms and compiling supporting documents that need to be attached, including the budget and financial report, online.
I consciously hid my surprise, lest I offend her.
Anna is fortunate!
She is well-versed in computer use and relies on voice assistance to interact with her gadgets and computers.
Amazing, isn’t it?
When Anna explained the tedious process involved applying for aid, it dawned on me that it might be onerous for the B40 groups to access such funds unless they get help in drawing up the business proposal and gathering documents.
No matter how small the grant is, the process remains the same.
Over the weeks, small business operators who have benefited from the “rescue” funds have been telling their stories in the media which feels good and gives hope to the SMEs and traders.
But is there help for those ordinary people who are not-so-computer-savvy?
In this respect it might be good if the various government agencies and even political parties are able to conduct workshops to reach out to the grassroots to educate deserving individuals and groups on getting the paper work done to apply for the grants and funds.
The government must be commended for making available funds and grants in various forms but if the money does not get into the right hands, it will be an effort in futility.
With the pandemic threatening a comeback, it is good to be prepared for any eventuality.
Incidentally, while several rounds of stimulus packages were announced, there hasn’t been much for the tourism industry which is ailing badly.
The little reprieves are like providing band aid for cancer and are insufficient.
Just when Malaysians have re-started trotting the country on weekends, Covid-19 cases are spiking.
Just to put things into context, the travel and tourism industry contributed 10.3% of the global gross domestic product (GDP) last year, providing some 330 million jobs.
In Malaysia, tourism is the third biggest contributor to the GDP, after manufacturing and commodities.
The World Travel and Tourism Council has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic could result in 50 million job losses in the travel and tourism industry globally and Asia is expected to be the worst affected.
It is estimated that the industry will take up to a year to recover once the outbreak is over.
We are at a crossroads.
The more we think about it, the more insane it appears.
However, there is no solution except to wait it out.
It is comforting that we are not alone in this.
Let’s look out for each other!
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
