By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I met my friend just now.  He had started his first business at the age of 18.   He’s 50 now and has several shop lots in two shopping malls.

Brian (not his real name) is feeling very stressed as he has received a letter from the management of one of his shop lots, reminding him to pay his rental.

Brian’s business at that mall has not exactly been profitable even before the pandemic simply because the rental was RM10,000 per month and he has three workers, each earning RM1,500, and then there were the taxes.

And with the onslaught of Covid-19, Brian is at a loss as to what he should do next.  The management said they could reduce the rental on the condition that he extends the lease for another two years, or take up additional shop lots which are currently vacant.

I am also a landlord and over the years, I have forged friendships with my tenants.  Since the lockdown started on March 18, I have reduced the rental by 30 to 50 per cent. This is the time to support tenants, not  give them a hard time.  If banks and landlords are going to be uncompromising, they are going to “kill” businessmen like Brian. 

Brian also found out that he was not entitled to any of the incentives in the  government’s stimulus package as his sales turnover exceeded RM100,000.  When Brian approached several local banks for a loan, he also did not get an encouraging answer to his problem.

He has to pay his workers and the rental, and yet he cannot operate the business.  I hope landlords, banks and even the government will look into the plight of people like Brian who are at their wits’ end right now. If they are “destroyed”, this is not going to help our economy.

Please save our local entrepreneurs as they are the ones who are providing jobs for the people.

For those who have savings and cash to spare, now is a good time to enter Bursa Malaysia as share prices have plunged. It’s time to snap up some blue chips.  

Shoppers will venture to malls again when our hospitalisation rates have reached a plateau or when someone can assure us that those who are asymptomatic cannot spread the disease and whether there is going to be a second wave.Until that happens, we should shop online.  But I want to caution online shoppers to verify the seller’s authenticity first before making any purchases as I have also heard many stories about frauds and scams, but I shall leave that story for another day.

By Michael Tay, Johor MCA Government and Coordinating Affairs chairman.

I would like to remind the public to remain resilient and be confident of an economic rebound from the coronavirus.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted that Malaysia’s economy will bounce back to a 9% growth next year, from an expected 1.7% contraction this year.

This is believed to be the fastest among the Asean-5 economies, which also  comprise of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

There’s a lot of theories going around now about the nature of the coronavirus, which can trigger paranoia. What we need now is as much credible information as possible and every country, including China, has to be forthcoming about what they know about the virus.  This is not the time to  be saving face or pointing fingers.    The main narrative should be to save lives and economies so that normalcy will return.

Actually, if you think about it, an increase in the number of cases of patients who tested positive for Covid-19 may not be a bad thing.  The reason for the lockdown was to break the chain of the spread of the virus.  We want to flush those who have the virus from the streets so that they don’t go around infecting others.

The government and relevant authorities now have to beef up efforts to track down illegal foreign workers who may be infected but are just too afraid to seek medical help.

Sooner or later, the lockdown will be lifted.

The coronavirus pandemic brings to mind the AIDs phenomenon.  Until today there is no vaccine for AIDS but because there is sufficient information about AIDs, we know how to prevent it.

Similarly, we are fearful of Covid-19 because we are still groping in the dark, with the vague and  distorted information that we have.  For lives and economies to get back on track again, we need to know everything about Covid-19.

If we don’t know this “enemy” yet by the time the MCO is lifted, we will be paranoid and fearful.

For now, all borders should remain closed.  We should not permit travellers to come in yet as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, we have to be optimistic. Have faith in our leaders.  Have faith in yourself that we can get through this if we continue to practice social distancing.

These are trying times for everyone. Some will just stay at home and complain of boredom or lash out at others without thinking of the bigger picture. Some will rise to the challenge and continue to deliver public service to the people that need it.

Among the few good men out there who isn’t “all talk and no action” is Johor MCA Government Coordinating Affairs chairman Michael Tay who recently led a team of 25 volunteers to distribute 1,200 canned drinks and packed food to the frontliners of Kluang Hospital and Hospital Permai in Johor Bahru, namely the doctors and all medical staff.

Tay, who is also the former Hospital Sultanah Aminah visitors board chairman, wanted to show his appreciation to the frontliners who had been working tirelessly to serve patients since the pandemic started.  Although the situation in Johor is under control as there are currently sufficient ventilators, breathing tubes and beds, Tay learnt that the hospitals are facing a shortage of medicines and PPE suits.

Tay and his team will also be contributing  paracetamol and azithromycin to the two hospitals as soon as the supplies arrived.

“I have already placed the orders and they should be arriving soon.  I hope to deliver them to the hospitals by early next week,” Tay said, adding that he is also scouting for medical visors and PPE suits and appeal to non-governmental to chip in if they can.

Besides the food and drinks, Tay and his team also contributed face shields for doctors to enter the ward where Covid-19 patients are being treated.

“At first I didn’t understand the need for a lockdown, but now after talking to the hospital staff I’m beginning to understand the need for a lockdown.  It is not to overwhelm the hospitals.

“There are two types of quarantine.  One is self-quarantine and the other is to be quarantined at the hospital.

“Now if you have minor symptom, you should take paracetamol and isolate yourself in a room so as not to infect the other members of your family.  If your condition worsens, you should take azithromycin which is an antibiotic.  But if you have respiratory problems, you need to go to the hospital immediately as they have oxygen tanks.

“Social distancing is the new norm now. A lockdown is necessary to flatten the curve. Together we can do this,” Tay said, adding that Malaysia has its own model to handle Covid-19.

“We cannot follow Singapore or other countries because the density and culture is different for every country.  Singapore is densely-populated while Malaysia is not.  If everyone practises what they’ve been told — maintain 6ft. from one another, wear masks when they are outdoors, do not congregate — we should be able to stop the multiplication of the virus and life will get back to normal again.“It is vital to boost up your immunity system and please do not offend China.  They are powerful and rich.  We need all the help we can get now to get over this crisis!” Tay added.