The Malaysian Insight

FOOD and beverage operators have hit out at enforcement agencies for instilling fear and harassing restaurant owners and their employees for allegedly violating Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP).

This comes after an incident at a local burger joint in Bandar Sunway, Selangor, on Sunday where the outlet’s owner and employee were threatened with a RM25,000 fine after the latter was found having a meal on the premises before starting his evening shift.

Malaysian F&B Operators Alliance spokesman Joshua Liew described the incident as “preposterous”.

“It’s preposterous. We are one of the hardest-hit industries during this MCO 3.0 and the no dine-in policy is something that we bear as our sacrifice to bring down the numbers (Covid-19 infections) ,” Joshua told The Malaysian Insight.

“But they (authorities) should not target us like that.”

He said restaurant owners and employees must know their rights and boundaries, adding that if restaurants know that they are not violating any SOP, then they must do what is right and take the necessary action.

He said the association will try to engage with the National Security Council (NSC) to come up with clear-cut SOP, but he is not optimistic that the NSC will respond to them.

Under the MCO 3.0, eateries are only allowed to operate for takeaways and deliveries, and those found breaching this rule may be fined.

It is, however, unclear whether the same applies to employees working at a restaurant.

Ren Yi Chin, co-founder and managing director of MyBurgerLab, told The Malaysian Insight the police officers who turned up at his outlet yesterday and detained his worker, eventually let him go with a warning.

Chin said the incident happened at about 5pm when his employee was having his meal.

“Several police officers showed up and snapped a picture of him, and then informed my employee that he was violating the SOP,” he said.

“My branch manager showed all the evidence to the policemen that the employee was about to go on duty and was not wearing his uniform yet as he will only begin his shift in 10 minutes.

“But they refused to listen to my manager and said they would take the employee to the police station and a fine of RM25,000 will be issued to the shop and the employee,” he said.

The employee was taken away in a police patrol car, which circled a few rounds in the area, before he was brought back to the police station where they let him off with a warning.

Chin said when the MBL’s manager asked where his staff should have their meals instead, the police officers replied, “Be smart, hide.”

“They (authorities) can’t expect my staff to hide in a corner and have his meal as he is not an illegal worker nor is he going against any rule,” he said.

Chin said he would like the authorities to give business owners a chance to explain and defend themselves rather than threatening to fine them.

“The authorities should exercise common sense and goodwill when carrying out their duties,” he said.

He also said he has decided not to lodge a police report over the incident as he did not want to trouble the police at this time.

“We will show them compassion, which they did not show us,” he said.

“It’s not easy for anyone. We just want the police to show more compassion to the rakyat.”

The country is currently under its third movement control order, effective until June 7, after a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths. – May 17, 2021.