IT will take at least two months for the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang to return to full capacity even with the lifting of the enhanced movement control order (MCO), said traders.

They told The Malaysian Insight there is a critical shortage of manpower while only half of the vegetable and seafood traders are open.

Before the market was put in lockdown, the majority of the workers there were foreigners. But they are now barred from the market due to infections and lack of work permits.

The traders are reluctant to hire locals as they would have to bear the cost of getting them tested for the Covid-19 virus.

Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seng Fish Wholesaler Association president Sing Kian Hock told The Malaysian that early yesterday, on the first day of the conditional MCO, some 50 fishmongers were open for business. Later in the day, more turned up.

“Some stall owners have asked relatives and friends to help. However, the manpower is still insufficient. Prior to this, we had 800 foreign workers here,” said Sing

There are 168 seafood sellers and 320 wholesale fishmongers.

Sing said several fishmongers have decided against resuming business due to the lack of labour and customers.

He said traders who have come to the wholesale market to buy their goods have been infected and passed the virus to the people in the markets where they do business..

“Some traders are afraid to come and buy for fear of getting infected and then infecting their customers,” he said.

“It is also difficult to predict whether the prices will increase due to the current demand and supply of seafood.

“But many stall owners are operating to ensure that there is no shortage of supply in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan. We have ordered from the fisherman only half of the seafood we usually do.”

Workers, meanwhile, have been reduced by about 800 and it will take at least two months to replace them.

Sing said the wholesale market supplies seafood to markets in the Klang Valley and parts of Negri Sembilan.

“Sixty percent of our seafood supply here is for Kuala Lumpur and 30% for Kuala Selangor and Seremban.”

About 40% of the seafood in the wholesale market is imported from Thailand and Indonesia. Local catches of cuttlefish, sea crabs, shrimps, sardines and ikan kembong make up the remainder.

“At present, there is no shortage of seafood and Muslims prefer to buy deep-sea fish during Ramadan and Eid.”

A fish wholesaler named Chia said he supplied seafood to markets in Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur.

However, the EMCO blockades have made trading difficult, he said.

Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers Association President Wong Keng Fatt said only about 70 of the 216 vegetable stalls are open.

Only about 30% of customers have returned.

He said the barbed wire barricades have been removed and the police are no longer patrolling the area, he said.

“The wholesale market used to be open 24 hours. Now it is only allowed to operate from 10am to 6pm. All stall owners and workers must wear a mask and have their body temperature screened to enter. “

He said the wholesale business has been badly affected by the shuttering of many markets.

“Only legal foreign workers and locals can be employed so there is not enough manpower.

“My stall has five local workers but the workload is still heavy. A stall requires at least six to 10 workers. New hires are unskilled.

“In the past, three foreign workers could do the work but now we need five locals for it,” he said.

Sing said it will cost the employer RM360 to RM450 to test each workerfor the virus at a private hospital.

The EMCO in four areas in Selayang and northern Kuala Lumpur, which was to have ended yesterday, has been extended to May 12, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced.

The areas still in lockdown are Taman Sri Murni Fasa 2, Jalan 1/2D; Taman Sri Murni Fasa 1, Jalan 1/2D; Taman Sri Murni Fasa 3, Jalan 1/2B; and Taman Batu View and Taman Batu Hampar.

The EMCO was lifted in Jalan 2/3A, Jalan 6/3A and Jalan 9/3A in Pusat Bandar Utara.

The conditional movement control order allows nearly all sectors of the economy to reopen subject to compliance with rules and guidelines. – May 5, 2020.