Tourism industry players in Malaysia are calling on authorities to impose a full lockdown, similar to the movement control order (MCO) 1.0 last year, so as to flatten the Covid-19 curve as quickly as possible.
They shared that the government’s efforts to tighten travel and mobility restrictions, starting from Tuesday (May 24), are insufficient to break the chain as daily cases continue to surge.
On Sunday, Malaysia recorded 6,976 new cases and 49 deaths, marking the fifth consecutive day of more than 6,000 new infections. Some states, such as Kelantan and Negri Sembilan, have requested the Health Ministry for field ICUs, as many hospital ICUs have reached maximum capacity.
Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association president, Uzaidi Udanis, believed that only a fortnight-long full lockdown will help lower the infection rate.
He opined that additional restrictions to be imposed from tomorrow such as a two-hour limit for shoppers at retail premises is not very effective. “It takes only a few seconds of exposure to contract the virus. Enforcement will also not be easy,” he said.
Other new rules to curb the contagion include reducing passenger capacity on public transportation by half and restricting operating hours of businesses.
Also calling for a total lockdown is Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) president, N Subramaniam, citing the ineffectiveness of current MCO restrictions in stamping out the virus spread.
“The tourism and hotel industry is of the opinion that the government needs to implement stricter and more effective measures such as a total lockdown, similar to MCO 1.0, to control the spread as soon as possible,” he said. “Limiting attendance at workplaces and operation hours of economic sectors will only prolong the situation.”
He also stressed that the industry needed greater assistance from the government, to prevent the closure of more hotels in the near future.
According to MAH, the hotel industry alone recorded a loss of over RM6.53 billion (US$1.57 million) last year. For year-to-date, the loss of revenue easily adds up to RM5 billion, making it worse than last year.
Members of the public too have been calling on the government for a stricter lockdown, but the government has been reluctant to initiate one. Finance minister, Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, explained that it could lead to one million job losses, with low-income earners suffering the most.
He said that the MCO 1.0 last year had contributed to a 5.3 per cent unemployment rate, with 826,000 people losing their jobs – the highest level of unemployment since the commodity crisis in the 1980s.
Prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has also stressed that a total lockdown would lead to more unemployment.
“If we (imposed a total lockdown on all economic sectors), we will face bigger problems to the point where our country will be unable to get back on its feet,” New Straits Times quoted him as saying.
Instead, he is encouraging Malaysians to practice self-lockdown by staying at home and not going out unnecessarily.
Shangri-La Group has launched family experience brand Fam.ily that will focus on creating experiences for multi-generational families and supporting guests on their parenting journeys.
The Fam.ily brand logo comprises two parts: ‘fam’, the shortened word for ‘family’, and ‘ily’, the abbreviation for ‘I Love You’, connected by an infinity symbol. At the centre of the symbol is a heart-shaped knot, symbolising the love shared by family members and the strong ties that bind them.
Through Fam.ily, guests can take part in a wide variety of activities that have been specifically designed to encourage learning through play and shared experiences through co-discovery across generations.
Pilot Fam.ily programmes will be rolled out at four properties across Mainland China this summer. Additionally, families can stay in themed family suites that have been thoughtfully designed to accommodate multigenerational groups.
To support customers in their parenting journeys, Fam.ily strives to build a supportive community where parents can connect and exchange experiences through multiple channels, such as online chat groups and family events. Thought leaders and experts in parenting and child development will also be engaged to share their knowledge with the Fam.ily community. These experts will share ideas and tips for fostering bonds across generations and achieving work-family balance.
Accompanying the launch of Fam.ily is a UGC campaign on Weibo and Red that invites followers to post a short video capturing an authentic reaction from their family when hearing “I Love You” using the hashtag #香亲香爱我爱我家 for the chance to win prizes.