HAIRCUT should not be listed as an essential service, the Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA) said today, adding that the purpose of the movement-control order (MCO) is to save lives, not appearances.

“Haircut should not be listed as an essential service. No matter long or short hair, the most important thing for now is to stay alive. The purpose of the movement control order is to save people’s lives, not their appearances,” it said in a statement today.

The association has also conducted a survey, where it found 91% of their members were not in favour of operating during the period. 

“It is impossible to maintain a distance of 1m during haircuts. Both the customer and the hairdresser are at risk and ease of being infected by the virus,” it said. 

The group also added that resuming haircut services during this period will increase the chance of spreading the virus. 

MHA said this may also cause unnecessary burden to the police as more people will be outside, and hair salons might also become a target for robbers. 

It also called on the government to put people’s health and safety first and revoke permits of hair salons that resumed operations during this critical period. 

“This is a very unprotected situation, because during this critical period, the haircut process is equally as high-risk as the work of medical workers, and it is a zero-distancing service. You cannot ignore this,” it said.

“The government should consider giving a high level of protection before deciding whether to allow the industry to resume business during this MCO,” it added. 

Employers will also have to bear the responsibility if their employees are infected, the group added. 

The Health Ministry is also not in favour of barber shops operating during the third phase of the MCO. 

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the measures taken under the first and second phases of the MCO from March 18 to April 14 should continue under the third phase, which ends on April 28. 

Despite the wishes of the private sector, he said such operations “should be delayed”. – April 11, 2020.