SINGAPORE (Mar 20): Most Malaysians working here The Edge Singapore spoke to are making the best of these trying circumstances. Take Emily Wong Yilian who already rents a place here and goes back only during the weekends. She now has to stop doing so for the next two weeks. “I can still meet my family after the lockdown. And thankfully both my parents are quite independent and don’t heavily rely on me,” says Wong, who works as a relationship manager at an MNC.
Others like Jojo Cheng, who works as an administrative officer in an automotive company, are able to enjoy accommodation provided by her employer. She went back to JB, grabbed some essentials and was back before the March 18 midnight lockdown. “If I choose to stay in Johor, my annual leave and work will be affected,” she adds.
Unfortunately, not all employers were willing to provide accommodations for their employees. A retail staff for a clothing brand, who wants to be known only as Khider, says he and two other colleagues who also commute daily, have been told to either take paid leave or find a place to stay in Singapore during this period.
However, the 27-year-old says he only has 14 days of annual leave. This means if the lockdown continues past March 31 — as Malaysia has warned it could happen if things worsen — he would be forced to take no pay leave. “I will have to sit at home and ‘eat grass’,” he says, a colloquial phrase which means he would have no income.
The suddenness of the travel ban announcement also did little favours for both employees and employers. The Edge Singapore learnt that employees of some of Singapore’s biggest companies were left in the lurch due to delays in communicating what further steps to take. While the confusion was eventually resolved, many of them are now stuck in JB, and have no choice but to take annual leave.
Although the impact will be wide-ranging, DBS senior economist Irvin Seah cautions against over-estimating the impact of the two-week restriction. Drawing upon his personal experience — his family business hires Malaysian workers — Seah knows that Malaysian workers are a resilient lot. For them, waking up as early as 4am to start their daily commute across the Causeway is something they take in their stride. To deal with the travel ban, many are already making their own arrangements for temporary stay. “This is a group of very resilient people. My full respect to them in doing whatever it takes to keep their livelihood,” says Seah.
Integrated security company Certis Group has Malaysian employees across various job functions, ranging from customer service concierge as well as security officers. The company has activated its business continuity plans and is offering temporary lodging and basic necessities and laundry services. “We have begun adjusting shift patterns and rosters to minimise the impact to our customers, while the rest of our workforce are stepping in to support operations,” says Certis.
Another security firm Aetos is also providing accommodation to those affected.
Carol Wong, executive director of Singapore-listed KL-based MeGroup, told The Edge Singapore that all its car dealerships and manufacturing facilities were closed to comply with the order. “Not everything is going to bounce back immediately. It will take time to recover,” says Wong, who also notes that several businesses were forced to permanently shut down, because of loss of income from the downturn amid the outbreak.
Another Singapore-listed, Malaysia-based company, aerosol paint company Samurai 2K Aerosol, had to also temporarily shut down operations in its factory in Johor. A company spokesman says production and delivery to both local and overseas markets were hit. A shipment, which has been packed inside containers and waiting to be loaded on the ships, is now stuck. “Luckily, unlike fresh produce, our products will not spoil easily,” says the spokesperson. It sees some impact on its FY2020 earnings but is confident that it can make up for the shortfall the following year.
Meanwhile, some companies do not see significant impact for now but are bracing themselves against changes in the situation.
UMS Holdings has plants in Penang but CEO Andy Luong does not see the temporary halt having any significant material financial impact on the company. “The situation is still fluid as businesses are subject to further directives from Malaysia’s government,” he adds.
