GEORGE TOWN: A gradual relaxation of the movement control order (MCO) to enable businesses to restart operations will go a long way towards helping the economy to recover, according to the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Its vice-president Datuk Finn Choong said this could be done by lifting the order in localities where there are only few Covid-19 infections. On the other hand, in areas still with a high number of infections, the MCO should be reinforced, he added.
This, he said, could enable some economic sectors to resume operations, while logistics could also be improved to ensure the supply chain was not adversely affected.
Choong was commenting on a call by the northern chapter of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) to allow factories to resume operations.
FMM northern region chairman Datuk Ooi Eng Hock said on Sunday that if factories were not allowed to reopen soon, Malaysia would lose its competitiveness.
Ooi was commenting on a proposal by Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon, the special adviser to the Penang chief minister, for factories to reopen to reverse the adverse economic slowdown caused by the MCO.
Choong said the Health Ministry had already categorised various parts of the country according to the level of seriousness of the infection.
“Therefore, the MCO can and should be lifted in areas where the infection can be effectively controlled or has been already wiped out.”He said there was a need to restore some business activities before the economic crisis worsened to the point of depression.
Choong said while the priority is to ensure public health, there is also a need to inject confidence in the economy.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr N. Ganabaskaran said like others, doctors also do not want to see the economy take a nosedive.
“But the profession’s priority is public health. If Malaysians do not cooperate, it would be difficult to flatten the curve.”
