The coronavirus outbreak which has crippled most of Malaysia's economy has hit those without a fixed salary the hardest, according to the Statistics Department.
A survey carried out during the ongoing nationwide movement control order (MCO) shows that nearly half of self-employed workers and a quarter of employers have gone without any income.
Even among the 53.4 per cent of self-employed Malaysians who said they still had jobs, 94.8 per cent suffered income losses, with more than a third of them experiencing a cut of over 90 per cent.
Of the 76.2 per cent of employers who still reported revenue, 86.1 per cent said their takings were hit, with nearly three in 10 experiencing a drop of over 90 per cent.
Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin noted that the first round of the special survey, Effects Of Covid-19 On Economy And Individuals - which polled 168,182 respondents from March 23 to 31 - saw the agriculture and services sectors recording the highest levels of job losses at 21.9 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively.
"The findings of this survey will assist the Malaysian government and people in addressing the effects of Covid-19 on the economy and employment," he said in a statement, when releasing the survey report yesterday.
However, he cautioned that the assessments were based on survey responses and not "official statistics" that can be interpreted as representative of the country's demographics.
Malaysia imposed the MCO on March 18, closing borders and suspending all non-essential economic activities. The order is in force until Tuesday and could be extended.
The country reported 4,228 confirmed cases and 67 deaths from the virus as of yesterday.
The Straits Times understands that an extension of some MCO restrictions is imminent, although the government is seeking ways to increase the level of economic activity. It has already approved thousands of applications from manufacturers to continue operations, while the order is in force.
Data made available to ST indicates that job losses have risen to about 60 per cent higher in the past two months, as compared with the same period last year.
According to the survey, some 71.4 per cent of self-employed respondents will be in dire straits if the MCO is extended, as they have enough savings to last only a month. Nearly half of employers are in the same position.
The survey also revealed that nearly all private sector employees were still at work, although some have had to endure pay cuts or been made to take unpaid leave.
The majority of respondents said they were not financially prepared for a further extension of the MCO.
