Sibu salons relieved agonising wait to reopen ends next week

Alex Ting (left) and Steve Yek are relieved that the agonising wait to reopen ends next week.

SIBU: Sibu Hair Salons Association chairman Alex Ting was all smiles after learning that barber shops and hair salons in the state are allowed to resume their operation on June 9.

He said the news brought huge relief to the barbers as well as the hairdressers after their shops were ordered to close under the Movement Control Order (MCO) and the subsequent Conditional (MCO) since March 18 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The agonising and painful wait is finally over and we just have to move on,” he added.

Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on Thursday decided to allow all barber shops and hair salons in the state to operate from next Tuesday, which is also when the CMCO is scheduled to be lifted.

Its chairman Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah, however, told a press conference that only hair-cutting services would be allowed, minus the facial or massage services.

Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian also mentioned that SDMC would soon release the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the reopening of barber shops and hair salons.

Though it is only for haircuts, Ting said the fact they are allowed to resume operation is what matters the most.

He expressed optimism that business will be good, though not to the extent of customers flocking to their shops for haircuts.

“After almost three months wait due to the lockdown amid the Control Movement Order since March 18 and then the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), our customers are eager to visit the hair salons to snip off their overgrown locks and all the ugly tresses,” he said.

Ting, who operates Alex Hair Salon, said they would not be rushing into doing things but will take things cautiously.

“We will monitor the SOP and ensure that all our members adhere strictly to the restrictions to prevent any untoward incident from happening.”

Ting added that their business had been severely hit during the past months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He disclosed that several hair salon operators had closed, toned down or had since moved to their own residence to conduct businesses.

He said the exorbitant rentals in some cases coupled with the landlords’ refusal to give reasonable monthly discounts to the rental, had brought about severe hardship to the livelihood of the operators.

Malaysia Hairdressing Association member Steven Yek also gave his thumbs up to the government for allowing the barber shops and hair salon to resume operation.

“Though haircutting business alone is not sufficient to help us to cover the cost of our expenses, still, that is better than none,” he said.

He hoped the government would relax the policy and allow their business to resume normally since Sarawak has recorded zero positive Covid-19 cases for eight consecutive days.

“The situation here is different compared to the peninsula. Hopefully, we will be given the green light to resume our business normally soon.”

Yek, who operates The Masterpiece hair salon, said he would also ensure strict compliance to the SOP set by the government.

“Besides the government SOP, we will have our own SOP to follow such as sanitising our scissors and ensuring social distancing is strictly adhered to,” said Yek.

The post Sibu salons relieved agonising wait to reopen ends next week appeared first on Borneo Post Online.

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