THE Penang Island City Council (MBPP) will be implementing mid-term and long-term measures to help the low-income group weather the economic storm caused by Covid-19.
MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said they are in the process of building a platform to help the low-income earners like hawkers and market sellers.
Beginning this month, the state government has started disbursing one-off payments of RM300 and RM500 to vulnerable groups, like petty traders, hawkers, taxi drivers, e-hailing drivers, trishaw riders, the disabled and the state’s AES (Agenda Ekonomi Saksama) programme recipients.
“The one-off payment is an immediate assistance from the state government but we have to look into the impact that will happen after this, especially for those with low income,” Yew said.
“We have to help them and so we are building something. If this project is successful, then we will build on it.
“Like it or not, all of us here have to face the reality that digitalisation is the way forward.
“Transformation is a must, everybody has to think how to transform from now to ride on these challenges and turn them into opportunities.”
Citing an example, Yew said that during this movement control order (MCO) period, their meetings have been conducted daily online via video conferencing.
“We’re still meeting with outstation people via online to get things done and services to continue. So, businesses have also to continue and we’re building a platform for them,” Yew explained.
Earlier, Yew was with state Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo and Seberang Perai City Council mayor Datuk Rozali Mahmud holding a Facebook Live broadcast in Komtar today on updates of the councils’ performances for the past 20 days since MCO was enforced on March 18.
Jagdeep complimented both MBPP and MBSP for achieving a compliance rate of 99% and 99.01% respectively of the MCO.
“This is a very high achievement. This also shows the good cooperation from the public.
“The most important thing is compliance with the MCO. I have stressed before that there is no compromise on public health and safety.
“We’ve shut down one wet market, maybe it is the first market to be shut down in Malaysia.
“We have to ensure a single entry and exit point, crowd control and social distancing. We cannot take the matter lightly,” Jadeep said.
For MBPP, out of 36,635 premises that they have checked, 36,278 have followed the MCO. Only 357 did not.
For MBSP, out of 53,103 premises investigated, 52,577 or 99.01% obeyed the MCO. The 526 premises which failed to do so were ordered to close.
Jagdeep added that the certain trades allowed to operate in the state twice a week must also follow the rules or face stiff action.
The businesses include agricultural input stores (fertilisers/poison); hardware stores, stores selling pet food, animal food and animal medicine, and spare part stores.
They are allowed to operate only on Mondays and Thursday, from 8am to 2pm, starting from today (April 6).
Rozali said from his observation, the residents in Seberang Perai are already accustomed to observing the 1m social distancing.
He said this improvement was seen in markets that were previously quite difficult to control such as in Bukit Mertajam, Taman Berjaya, Taman Selamat, Kampung Baru and Mak Mandin.
He thanked the respective state assemblymen, MBSP councillors as well as Village Community Management Council (MPKK) members for helping to monitor the situation.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting