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    Monday, August 2, 2021

    Blind masseur Asui urges government to let him work again

    Asui (left) and his family. (Photo by Stephen)

    MIRI (Aug 3): Blind masseur, Asui Muling, hopes the government will allow him to begin making a living again as he has not been able to operate although many businesses have resumed after Sarawak entered the second phase of the Covid-19 National Recovery Plan.

    He told The Borneo Post that he only managed to work for two months this year before being ordered to cease again due to the Movement Control order.

    “Massage centres were permitted to reopen at the end of March, but as the Covid-19 situation worsened, MCO was imposed again in May. All non-essential businesses including massage was forced to closed.

    “Even though we received food aid from various non-profit organisations and from the elected representatives, my worries now are how to settle the rent and bills of my massage parlour,” said Asui.

    The 39-year-old and his wife operate at a massage parlour in Permyjaya with a monthly rental of RM700.

    The monthly allowance he received under the Welfare Assistance Scheme, is not enough to cover even half of his bills.

    Making the situation worse, he is unable to apply for the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance Scheme (BKSS) and Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) after he received a special micro SME grant of RM3,000 last year.

    “My eligibility for other assistance was cancelled after I received the grant, which I’ve used to pay off bills and rental,” he explained.

    The masseur with more than 15 years of experience, hoped the government could look into the possibility of allowing massage parlours to reopen as he saw no reason to remain closed, since hair saloons have been allowed to reopen.

    “Like massage services, hair dressing is a one-on-one service. I believe that people have more negative perception against massaging and reflexology centres, as it involves touching skin.

    “To us, it is the main source of our income. The skills that we’ve learned from legitimate courses earned us a certificate and licence to qualify as masseur,” said Asui.

    “We had previously negotiated with the shop owner who was kind enough to give some deduction on the rental. However, as the situation persisted, the shop owner had to pay for his mortgage, so the deduction was discontinued. It is understandable as the pandemic had impacted on almost everyone,” said Asui.

    He said he has been receiving calls from his customers enquiring on his service but he had to tell them that he still could not operate.

    “As masseur, we truly understand the amount of risk we are exposed to, so strict compliance to the standard operating procedures is crucial. I have also checked with my customers, whether they have been vaccinated, as it is now the most important requirement,” he said.

    Another blind masseur, Baki Melayu, 45, told The Borneo Post that the Covid-19 pandemic had him caught between a rock and a hard place.

    “I have heard news about masseurs contracting the virus from work. I am stuck between hunger and worrying about my health, but these are not the options that I would want to choose from,” he said.

    Currently, he is depending on his family members as he has zero income.

    He had given thought to leaving his job for a safer option but it isn’t possible as his specialty is massaging.

    “The competitiveness in the employment market now is very high as many workers were made redundant following companies’ closure or cost-cutting.

    “I would certainly look forward to ways of improving my knowledge in massaging, if the government provides free or subsidised courses, and that way I can offer better service and in return, a better pay,” said Baki.

    Isak Ngau

    According to Society of the Blind Malaysia, Sarawak branch chairman, Isak Ngau there are currently over 100 blind masseurs in the state who are Certified Massage Therapist.

    “Many of them chose this sector because it gives them the best chance of having a job that allows them to build a better life,” he said.

    If the blind is given learning opportunities by the government, Isak opined that it was possible for the blind to look for other employment options.

    “For the blind, learning technology like smartphones and computer software, is like opening a door to a whole new platform. It allows them to not only be restricted to certain employment sectors, they are given the choice to choose.

    “I really hope that the government could come up with the initiatives to really help the disabled community to stand up on their feet. To us, living is not about receiving money and food, but to be able to make a living, especially during this pandemic,” he said.



    from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3loSS1x
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