Malaysian economy need support from tourism sector.
(Syed Fawad Ali Shah, Peshawar)
Business life in Malaysia has been hit hard by the Covid-19
outbreak. As a result, many businesses have gone bankrupt while workers have
lost their jobs. Malaysia's economy is on the brink of collapse due to a lack of
tourists. Malaysia's neighbouring countries Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines
and Indonesia have opened their borders for tourists, while the Malaysian
government is still considering whether to open the borders or not.
Although 90% of the population have been vaccinated against covid-19 but the
government is still reluctant to open its borders to tourists because the
government has not found a good policy maker to guide the Malaysian government
like Thailand, Indonesia, Dubai or Saudi Arabia. The Malaysian government should
play its role in restoring the influx of tourists to stabilize the economy.
The covid-19 outbreak has alarmed the government and resulted in an
overreaction. Although most deaths in Malaysia were due to heart attacks, mental
disorders, cancer and high blood pressure, such deaths are not officially
highlighted as much as covid-19 epidemic rumours are underlined.
The death toll from covid-19 is much lower than other health related issues but
it is exaggerated which is weakening the country's economy day by day.
With such a drastic move by the Malaysian government, it seems that Covid-19 is
only in Malaysia while the rest of the world is totally insulated from the
pandemic.
The government must understand that thousands of people in the tourism sector
have lost their jobs. On the other side, millions of foreigners have returned to
their home countries saying a goodbye to Malaysia, which has led to a shortage
of foreign workers.
There are currently 170,000 UNHCR recognized refugees in Malaysia, but they
cannot work anywhere because they do not have a work permit. Neither the
Malaysian bureaucracy nor the ministers are going to suggest to the government
that they should allow these refugees to work temporarily so that the country
can meet the shortage of workers to some extent.
There is also a fear that many sectors in Malaysia will soon come to a
standstill. On the one side clubs, bars and restaurants have been made
operational but the UNHCR office has not been allowed to resume their operations
which is an open contradiction.
Wouldn't people who go to clubs, bars or restaurants get the covid-19 virus and
those who go to the UNHCR office will get infected? Why are the safety protocols
not the same?
Every citizen living in Malaysia is following the SOPs but the fear of the virus
has spread so much that even if the virus is eradicated, the people will still
be scared for years.
Instead of intimidating people, the government should have encouraged them to
leave their homes and work for the development of the country. The masses of
Malaysia are not more sensitive than the people in other countries like
Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai or the Philippines.
The Malaysian government has announced that it will reduce the risk of covid-19
by allowing tourists who have been vaccinated to enter the country under SOPs so
that Malaysia can once again emerge as an attraction.
At present Malaysia is the only country which is at the top for tourism among
the countries of Southeast Asia. Anyone who visits here once wants to come
again. Therefore, the public and social circles are requesting the Malaysian
government to announce the opening of the Malaysian borders as soon as possible
instead of January so that the employment of thousands of people associated with
the tourism sector is restored.