PUTRAJAYA has reversed its decision to allow barbershops, hair salons and opticians to reopen while the movement-control order (MCO) is in force, said Ismail Sabri Yaakob, following widespread protest against the move announced last week.

The senior minister said the about-turn follows unfavourable feedback from industry players and civil groups.

“The government listens to the public, and the prime minister decided on this today,” he told a daily press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.

On Friday, the International Trade and Industry Ministry came out with a list of nine sectors allowed to resume business in the third phase of the MCO, effective Wednesday till April 28.

Barbershops, optometrist services and the aerospace industry were on the list.

In the run-up to the decision, Putrajaya had announced a cabinet committee on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy and labour market, which announced several decisions on April 10 including the reopening of barbershops and opticians.

However, the decision was met with objection by many, including from the Health Ministry.

Health Director-General 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”.

“We cannot hope to return to normalcy during this phase. We should continue to maintain social distancing and avoid public gatherings as best as we can,” he said at the daily press briefing on Covid-19 today.

Industry players had also baulked at the decision to open, with the Malaysian Hairdressing Association (MHA) saying a survey among members that found 91% of respondents disagreed with the move.

“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.

“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 MCO was put in place to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus, which has infected 4,683 and killed 76 in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, 2,108 patients have recovered from the disease, or 45% of the infected. The fatality rate in Malaysia is 1.62%, lower than the global average of about 6%. – April 13, 2020.