AFTER a hail of protests, Sarawak has reversed its decision allowing food businesses to operate within house compounds during Ramadan.

State Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah said traders can instead use online platforms, such as WhatsApp, and e-hailing services to promote and sell their offerings.

With the U-turn, the operation hours of food delivery services will be the same as other businesses allowed to open during the movement-control order (MCO) period, from 7am to 7pm.

Karim, announcing the reversal today, said the state government is “very sensitive” to the public’s views.

Initially, it gave the go-ahead for traders to sell food from the compounds of their homes from 3pm to 10pm for the entire Muslim fasting month, which is due to begin tomorrow.

Annuar Rapaee, who is state education, science and technological research assistant minister, said the original decision would lead to MCO violations.

“There is no need to allow these traders to open till 10pm,” he said on Facebook, adding that people might use this as a reason to go out.

It would just complicate the state’s efforts to control the spread of Covid-19, he said.

“Fasting is not a time for us to eat more, especially during the MCO.

“We have to fight this war against Covid-19 till the end. We should not demoralise our frontliners.”

Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii, in a statement, said the economic considerations behind the initial decision were understandable, but it did not take into account the risks involved.

“The decision would effectively open up people’s homes to outsiders who may be carriers of the virus without knowing it, especially asymptomatic patients.

“It may also encourage lingering outside or unnecessary travel late at night, even though we are still not yet out of the woods.” – April 23, 2020.