Extended blow for event organisers

06-04- 2020 06:34 PM

This is the seventh part of 10 examples Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming used to highlight the plight of SMEs.

PETALING JAYA: Event organisers face an extended blow to their income as large-scale gatherings are discouraged for up to six months after the Movement Control Order (MCO).

An event organiser specialises in setting up corporate functions such as annual dinners and award events, Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said today.

“This company has a payroll of close to 100 people since the events organised are big scale events which requires many people to coordinate,” the former International Trade and Industry deputy minister said in a statement.

He was giving examples how the various sectors under Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) would suffer without a comprehensive government aid package.

“Some of the staff are also content creators for the publication arm of this company – video, articles, corporate write-ups,” Ong said.

“A majority of the employees have been with the company for more than five years and are earning a good wage of more than RM4,000 a month.”

Many events had been postponed or scaled down as a result of the Covid-19 virus, he said.

“The MCO has put a complete stop to these events. Given that the director-general of the Ministry of Health has advised against large scale gatherings for the next six months, this company has no choice but to undertake a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS).

“Given these circumstances, the RM600 wage subsidy and the discounts in electricity bills are not very helpful,” Ong added.

Below are the rest of the examples:

Part 1

Ong: How a restaurant owner is losing RM100,000 during MCO

Part 2

Ong on why a non-essential items maker would rather lay off staff

Part 3

How do we expect small hotel operators to go on?

Part 4

Small retailer burns RM10,000 to cover costs during MCO

Part 5

MCO roadblocks for long-distance bus operator