COVID-19 infections among traders and restaurants still opting for takeaway service are hurting the demand for fresh vegetable and fish at the Selayang wholesale market, which supplies most markets in the Klang Valley.

Vegetable and fish traders’ associations told The Malaysian Insight that customers are shying away from markets in the Klang Valley after it was announced that traders will be required to undergo Covid-19 tests before entering the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang.

The move comes after traders from other markets in the Klang Valley contracted the coronavirus after visiting the wholesale market.

As of yesterday, 29 of 80 coronavirus cases detected outside the KL wholesale market were from four public markets in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.

Kuala Lumpur Hoi Seng Fish Wholesalers’ Association president Sing Kian Hock said many fish traders began operations on Monday night but business is down an estimated 90%.

“After the Selayang market was locked down again, only about 30% of seafood traders opened for business. On Monday night, another 20% of fish traders decided to open.

“But as of Tuesday, business has been terrible, customers are buying less than 20% of the usual amount.

“The government’s decision to let restaurants open is not helping our sales much, so traders have to judge for themselves the risk and how much stock to purchase,” Sing told The Malaysian Insight.

Putrajaya allowed most businesses, including restaurants, to reopen on Monday. However, the news came amid the lockdown of the areas surrounding the Selayang wholesale market and several traders there testing positive for Covid-19.

So far, only three states– Perlis, Malacca and Terengganu – are easing restrictions on businesses in accordance with the controlled movement-control order (CMCO).

Under the relaxed restrictions, most businesses are allowed to reopen with strict health guidelines, and restaurants are allowed to open for dine-ins.

“Fish traders can only sell at discount the next day, but even then, seafood go bad very quickly and we have to throw them away once they start to smell,” Sing said.

Seafood traders can only react according to the situation and since foreigners are not allowed to work in the market currently, it may take up to two months for the Selayang wholesale market to return to its pre-MCO days, he said.

“We have established ourselves here for decades. But this pandemic is causing havoc. When it first started, sales began to drop, and now it’s almost non-existent.”

Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers Association president Wong Keng Fatt also said allowing restaurants to open for dine-in has little effect on vegetable traders.

“What use is there if only restaurants in Kuala Lumpur allow customers to dine-in?

“Eateries in Selangor are still doing takeaways or deliveries only. Most restaurants were already doing that during the first phase of the MCO, so there really isn’t much difference.”

Wong said the fact that more and more markets have been closed for sterilising affects their business more as they are losing customers.

“Many businesses are contacting Cameron Highlands farmers directly to buy vegetables and arrange for deliveries. We have lost many customers.

“Some customers are also afraid to enter the market now and those who have not been tested for Covid-19 are also not allowed in.

“Foreigners are also not allowed to work right now and many vegetable stalls are not open because of a lack of manpower.

“I hired four part-timers but once the MCO is lifted and they can go back to their full-time jobs at the factory, I’ll similarly suffer from lack of manpower.

“Every vegetable trader is now facing difficulties and we have no ability to save ourselves,” he said.

Wong, however, agreed that Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) strict measures are necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19, even if it caused many traders to close shop.

The areas around the wholesale market and Selayang Baru are the only two places still under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO).

Covid-19 has so far infected 6,386 and killed 106 nationwide. – May 6, 2020.