TRADERS in Little India in Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur and George Town in Penang, were looking forward to the Deepavali shopping rush in the hopes of reviving their flagging businesses after eight months of slowdown because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

But their hopes were dashed with the announcement of a conditional movement-control order (CMCO) in major parts of the country, leaving many wondering how to stay afloat without the festive sales that account for the bulk of their earnings for the year.

Jeel Brickfields boutique’s owner P. Ramesh said business has been poor since the CMCO was enforced in the Klang Valley.

“We are still recovering from the losses incurred during the MCO period and we were expecting to recoup our losses at this time but our expectations have been dashed with the implementation of the CMCO,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Ramesh, who also has a shop in Rawang, said business is about half of that of pre-pandemic times, and is making enough only to cover operating costs and workers’ wages for October and November.

“I cannot meet my target for Deepavali, so I am looking at a bleak six months or so. Deepavali drives our sales and without it, the next six months will be hard,” he said.

A CMCO was imposed on Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya on October 14 as Malaysia experienced a third wave of Covid-19 infections.

On November 7, the order was extended to all the states except Perlis, Kelantan, Pahang and Sarawak effective for four weeks until December 6.

N. Selvan, 52, a senior tailor at Githika’s Tailoring in Brickfields, said orders have plunged.

In previous years, he would have sewn more than 500 saree blouses and Punjabi suits in the run-up to Deepavali.

This year, there were fewer than 100 orders.

Customers also can’t collect their orders because of travel curbs. Some have also not picked up their orders because the events for which they were meant, such as weddings, have been cancelled.

“Since these orders are not collected, we can’t get the full payment. It’s been a massive blow to business,” he said.

Movement restrictions have also affected the Deepavali bazaar in Brickfields.

K. Murugan, 55, who sells traditional snacks there at this time of the year, is unable to secure a lot this year.

He will take orders for delivery instead.

“I have to look at other ways to earn money during this time. Although the profit wouldn’t be the same as selling at the bazaar, it is better than nothing,” he said.

The CMCO has also hit Indian traders in Penang where frugality is a byword due to the economic downturn.

Rajan Mathavan, a food wholesaler in George Town’s Little India, said business is half of what it once was.

“People now shop with a list. Not like before, when they spend on what they fancy,” he said, adding that Little India had lost its spark and bustle because of the epidemic.

Rajan, who is mulling ways to revive his business, said he might have to take his trade online.

Textile shop owner Ayok Kumar bemoans his failure to achieve sales targets this year.

He said business was bad enough when the CMCO was enforced in the Klang Valley, which affected him as many of his customers were in Selangor.

Things were even worse now that Penang was also under the CMCO, he said.

After 34 years in business, Ayok said he now had to worry about rent for his shop and salaries for his 22 workers – November 11, 2020.