PETALING JAYA, June 21 (Sin Chew Daily) – Hairdressers, garment merchants and small local  businesses may go out of business if they are not allowed to restart their operations after June 28 at the end of the current phase of nationwide lockdown.

They urge the government to offer assistance and automatic debt moratorium to the affected operators during such critical moments.

Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA) president Michael Poh said the association had written to the domestic trade and consumers ministry twice, on June 11 and 18, urging the government to allow hair salons to reopen during the second phase of nationwide lockdown.

He said since the MCO was first enforced in March last year, some 30% of hairdressing salons in the country had already wound up as many young operators switched to online businesses or selling durians and food.

Poh, who is also United Asian Hairdressers Association (UAHA) president, told Sin Chew Daily many salons are now struggling to stay alive during the current phase of lockdown, and he estimated that another 30% would close down or downsize their operations if they are allowed to operate only during the third phase of lockdown or if the lockdown is further extended.

He also urged the government to provide six-month debt moratorium facility to operators and hoped the government would vaccinate services industry frontliners as early as possible.

The Federation of Malaysia Chinese Guilds Association (FEMACGA) president Lum Kim Soong said majority of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as micro enterprises are struggling, in particular those in the services sector.

He also urged the government to state specifically which sectors could reopen during the second and third phases of the nationwide lockdown, should the COVID-19 outbreak improves.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Garments Wholesale Merchants Association president Datuk Ang Say Tee said almost 10,000 or 10% of all fashion wholesalers in the country had closed down since the first MCO last year. More will follow suit if the current lockdown is extended.

"Many small businesses will close down if they cannot reopen after June 28.

"People will kill themselves or suffer from depression!"