THE Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry recently announced that from May 25, the public would only be allowed to shop at retail premises including shopping malls for a maximum of two hours.
This is part of the tightened standard operating procedure introduced by the Government under the current movement control order (MCO 3.0).
According to its minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, enforcement officers and premise owners would be able to see how much time a shopper spent at a place through checks on their MySejahtera record.
But is this really effective in curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus? Come on, surely there are better ways to control crowds or congestions at shopping malls and public places than setting a two-hour limit.
In fact, the ‘rule’, like many others that have been introduced in the so-called MCO 3.1, seems half-baked and ludicrous.
There are more questions than answers at this point, among them being what would happen if shoppers exceed the two-hour limit, and how will the shoppers’ movement be tracked, especially in a large shopping mall with multiple entrances?
Also, what is stopping shoppers who have exceeded the two-hour limit from exiting the mall, and doubling back and scanning their MySejahtera at the entrance again?
Nanta also said that premise owners can use the time stamp on MySejahtera and can advise their customers to adhere to the two-hour limit.
Do note that the key word here is ‘advise’. What happens if the customers ignore the ‘advice’? Will they be slapped with a fine? Thrown into jail? Blacklisted from the mall?
Furthermore, the minister seems to have forgotten that people go to shopping malls for reasons other than shopping as well.
They visit the dentist, go to the optometrist, and buy food from multiple restaurants, for example. Can all these really be accomplished in under two hours? Hardly, unless it’s The Amazing Race.
Currently, many business premises within the mall are already controlling the number of customers in their premises by limiting this to 4 square metres person. The maximum capacity numbers are also being displayed at the entrances. Shouldn’t this already be enough to control the crowd?
While limiting the time shoppers spent would help enhance movement control in current circumstances, there must be better ways to control crowds or congestions at malls and public places. Setting a two-hour limit just isn’t the answer. – May 25, 2021
Photo credit: Yusof Mat Isa
