THE earlier policy flip-flops on approval letters for essential sectors to operate during the lockdown are still impacting business owners, with two of them fined recently for allegedly not having approval letters issued through the International Trade and Industry Ministry’s (Miti) one-stop system.

On June 14, two weeks into the movement-control order (MCO), a cafe and a bubble tea shop in SS2, Petaling Jaya, were fined RM10,000 each by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry on June 14, despite having Miti approval letters, Kg Tunku rep Lim Yi Wei said.

The owners of both shops complained to her service centre two days later, saying the law enforcement officials who came could not find approval records for both shops in the system and issued fines immediately.

“I have asked the owners to write an explanation letter and make an appeal soon. 

“I believe it is a technical issue that can be resolved.”

Lim also said she received a third complaint on a similar matter a few days ago. Her service centre is currently reviewing the reasons for the penalty.

The DAP legal bureau and a team from Damansara MP Tony Pua’s constituency office, is also helping her. Kg Tunku is a state seat within the parliamentary constituency.

“The third complaint is from a call centre. It had also received a letter of approval from Miti but was fined RM10,000,” said Lim.

Miti runs the CIMS 3.0 online platform for business owners running essential services to apply for approval letters to operate during the lockdown. Approval is granted from the ministry that has jurisdiction over that particular economic sector.

The approval letters, however, are supposed to be on record within the CIMS 3.0.

The bubble tea shop operator, who wanted to be known as Bryan, said he applied to Miti after June 1. 

When the officers came, they told him his shop was not found in the Miti system.

“But after the fine was issued, I was still able to print out the letter from the system.

“If my store did not receive approval to operate, why is it in the Miti system? When I called Miti, they even said my letter is recorded in the system,” Bryan said.

He has written an appeal to the district health office. The bubble tea shop is still operating today while the appeal is being processed.

The cafe owners, meanwhile, said they had applied to Miti for an approval letter earlier in May.

Raja Nor Hasnah, who runs the cafe with her husband Johari, said they followed the steps announced by the government on May 31.

“They said applications should be done through Miti. And Miti’s press release dated May 31 said essential service companies (which already had prior approval) do not need to re-register. 

“They said we just have to download the latest approval letter and that’s what we did.”

This wasn’t enough for the domestic trade ministry officers when they came to her cafe on June 14. They insisted that the cafe had no approval letter and issued a RM10,000 fine.

“We have been going up and down the government offices, trying to prove that we have done nothing wrong,” said Nor Hasnah.

“Domestic trade ministry officers insisted that we had to re-register after June 1, even though we have shown proof including the press statement from Miti that says otherwise.

“We have submitted our appeal to the Health Ministry because even though the fine was issued by the domestic trade ministry, it’s on behalf of MoH. Hence, we have to submit our appeal to them.”

Nor Hasnah said her appeal is still pending investigation. 

Companies and business operators were thrown into confusion when the MCO 3.0 was announced nationwide starting June 1.

At first, Miti said approval letters granted previously would still be valid during the lockdown.

On May 31, the domestic trade ministry said that businesses under the ministry’s supervision, categorised as the distribution trade sector, would have to apply for new approval from the ministry and the earlier letter by Miti would not be valid as of June 1. 

The MCO, initially from June 1 to 14, has now been extended until June 28. – June 24, 2021.