KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian government on Sunday (April 12) said barber shops will be allowed to reopen only in "green zones" that are free from coronavirus infections, walking back an earlier plan to reopen all barber shops that drew flak from the public and was even questioned by barber associations.
Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in his daily media briefing about the coronavirus, confirmed his Cabinet colleague Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar's remarks on Saturday that the new sectors allowed to operate are limited to just so-called green zone districts in the country.
Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi was quoted as saying by Borneo Post newspaper that a special Cabinet committee on the economy had studied what businesses could be allowed to operate again.
"The committee came up with the report and identified certain businesses, and later after several discussions, it was agreed only to operationalise certain businesses and services in the 'Covid-19 green areas' of the country," he said in the statement issued quoted by the East Malaysia-based newspaper.
"It's not true that the opening of such businesses and services is meant for the whole country."
Senior Minister Ismail, when asked if the government would retract its approval for barber salons to reopen during the extension of the movement control order (MCO), said: "From what we were informed by MITI, it is not automatic. I was made to understand there are application processes." He was referring to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
The Muhyiddin Yassin administration announced last week that a raft of small businesses will be allowed to reopen their shops again to breathe some life into the weak economy. These included barber shops, laundrettes, hardware shops, vehicle maintenance workshops and optometrists.
There are only 29 green zones in the country - mostly in heavily forested Sarawak and Sabah, according to Free Malaysia Today online news. Only four of these virus-free zones are in Peninsular Malaysia, and none of them are in the heavily populated areas such as the Kuala Lumpur federal territory, Selangor, Johor or Penang.
In fact, all the four KL federal territory health districts have been listed as "red zones" for having at least 40 cases each.
Malaysia on Sunday entered its 26th day of the MCO which was originally supposed to end on Tuesday.
But Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin last Friday said the partial lockdown would be extended to April 28, though some businesses would allowed to reopen, after relisting them as essential services.
These would join supermarkets, medical shops, restaurants where only takeaway orders are accepted and delivery services.
But the plan to allow people to visit their barbers again is the most controversial one, with many fearing that it could lead to the emergence of new clusters of the coronavirus, as barbers and their customers are in close contact during a haircut.
Malaysia's health chief on Saturday warned against easing measures that curb the coronavirus outbreak.
Director-general of the Health Ministry Noor Hisham Abdullah said: "The health ministry's recommendation is that we should maintain what we had done in MCO phase 1 and phase 2", referring to the first four weeks of the MCO. Phase 3 will be in force from April 15 to 28.
"Perhaps the planning can be done but implementation be delayed at this moment," he said, with regard to some businesses being allowed to reopen.
Malaysia on Saturday reported 4,530 confirmed coronavirus infections, the highest tally in South-east Asia. The country has reported 73 deaths and 1,995 recoveries.
The Malaysian Hairdressing Association on Saturday urged the government to reconsider its plan for the industry, stressing that it was "impossible" to maintain social distancing in their line of work.
"Haircuts should not (be) listed as a necessary essential service, no matter long hair or short hair, the most important thing, for now, is to stay alive," the association said. "The purpose of the MCO is to save people's lives, not their appearance."
Selangor and Federal Territories Indian Hairstylists Association chairman Ganathiban Murugan told Free Malaysia Today news: "In supermarkets, people have to stand at least 1m away from each other, but to cut hair we have to come into close contact with our customers. How do we keep a safe distance from them?"
