The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has held a Special COVID-19 Committee meeting on 19 May to discuss about the current pandemic situation.

We have subsequently engaged with our 17 Constituent Members in every states of Malaysia and have unanimously adopted the followings:

• We are deeply concerned about the worsening pandemic conditions that have not only caused public fears and worries but also exhausted public healthcare system and health care resources. Slow vaccination rate and a wider community spread as well as a high proportion of asymptomatic virus carriers leave people vulnerable to the virus.
• We believe that the Government with the backing of scientific research data and medical experts has considered the severity of the current health pandemic. The Chamber shall support the advice of medical experts based on robust scientific research data in giving due regard to implement stricter and tighter MCO, if it is deemed necessary to protect the public health.
• The Chamber is prepared to bite the bullet and make a renewed commitment working together with the Government to battle against the pandemic. We believe that it is through taking a drastic measure — short-term pain, long-term gain approach to curb the virus transmission, ease the pressure on the healthcare system which is at its “breaking point” and save lives.
• In this regards, ACCCIM has also stepped forward to help by donating to The Edge Covid-19 Fund that sent 33 ventilators to Hospital Sungai Buloh days ago. The ACCCIM Covid-19 Fund will also be donating 17 units of High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC) to the Sungai Buloh Hospital and 3 units of ventilators to a hospital in Penang.
• We are in a life-threatening race, racing to slow down the virus transmission and also to speed up the vaccination rate. Hence, we urge the Government to mobilize all resources of both public and private sectors to expedite the national vaccination program, which is the root cause of the pandemic. More resources must be allocated and also undertake aggressive sourcing of vaccines portfolio to effectively implement the vaccination and reaching the target of herd immunity sooner.
• ACCCIM also urges the Government to step up mass testing and isolation as well as beef up contact tracing. Ministry of Health (MoH) has to adopt a more aggressive detection strategy, with the help of private general practitioners and recruitment of extra staff to be supervised by public health officers in a contact tracing network. The spread of the virus can be controlled through mass testing and detection, and isolation of close contacts within 48 hours.
• In this critical moment, ACCCIM calls for a responsible whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach to ensure that whatever the measures to be taken can effectively curb the virus transmission. In this regard, the SOP must be simple, easy to follow and comply with. The Government must strictly enforce the rules and the guidelines need to be clear and sensible in terms of fairness and equitable.
• In the face of worsening virus spread conditions that could derail the still-uneven pace of economic recovery and business revival, the Chamber hopes that further targeted relief can be considered to support sectors that require in-person interactions or travel have been hit particularly hard, including self-employed, micro business, service industries such as restaurants, and retailers.
• The Government can consider to extend some of the relief and financial assistance measures like the Wage Subsidy Program and HRDF levy exemption for selected groups, tourism and retail, which will expire in June 2021. Likewise, special tax deduction for providing a reduction of rental at least 30% on business premises for SMEs and Non-SMEs will expire in June 2021. Utility bill discounts or rebates also come in handy.
• Micro business, self-employed as well as informal workers paid on a daily/weekly wage should be given more relief as the restricted people mobility to lessen the virus spread would affect this vulnerable group the most.