KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Shopping mall and retail associations have suggested that shops be allowed to open for business when 70 per cent of the “working crew in attendance at any one time to serve the public” have been fully vaccinated.
Furthermore, only customers who are fully vaccinated would be admitted into the premises, the associations said in a joint statement today.
The associations are Malaysia Shopping Malls Association (PPK), Malaysia Retailers Association (MRA), Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA), Bumiputra Retailers Organisation (BRO), Malaysia REIT Managers Association (MRMA) and Malaysian Association of Theme Park and Family Attractions (MATFA).
“For shopping malls, over and above the control of admission of shoppers who are determined by MySejahtera as ‘low-risk’ and ‘casual contact – no symptom’ status and with temperatures below 37.5 degrees, we will additionally check the vaccination status from the respective shopper’s MySejahtera and only admit those who have been fully vaccinated.
“Thus, shops within the malls need not repeat this process and the mall will effectively become a type of green bubble environment,” the statement said.
The associations believe that with all these conditions implemented, the risk is manageable for all shops in malls to be open for business.
“This will thereby improve the chance for revival and survival of the retail businesses which have been severely damaged due to the current prolonged and unnecessary closures, despite the extremely low 0.8 per cent of infected cases for shopping areas as reported by the Ministry of Health,” they said.
According to them, malls will become a green bubble environment for the public to seek relief and release after being cooped up for so long as well as for some physical exercise and mental health therapy.
“This vaccination dividend and privilege will invariably create further urgency to be vaccinated and we urge that more inoculation capacity and more vaccination centres (PPVs) be ramped up, thereby achieving herd immunity faster so that our economy can repair and recovery earlier and with more certainty.
“We look forward to the earliest announcement so that the economy can restart and recover and halt the debilitating impact of the prolonged lockdowns,” the associations said.
