THERE was much confusion and anger in Kota Kinabalu today, the first day Sabah is allowing dine-ins at all its eateries, restaurants and hotels despite federal government rules to the contrary amid the ongoing lockdown.

There was trouble between several coffee shop owners and Ministry of Health enforcement officers over the opening of their businesses for dine-ins, according to Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin and Persatuan Kedai Kopi Pantai Barat Sabah (West Coast Sabah Coffeeshop Association) chairman Yong Chee Yun.

Chan said coffee shop operators and hawkers at Damai, Lintas and Foh Sang had complained that they have been warned by the officers not to set up tables for dine-in customers, as standard operating procedure (SOP) on on-site eating have yet to be released.

Chan said the coffee shop operators and hawkers had also told him they had been threatened with a compound for SOP violations if they start serving eat-in customers before the SOP is out.

“I find the action of (the) enforcement officers rather high-handed,” the DAP lawmaker said.

Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor yesterday said that the state would allow dine-ins from today onwards.

“Why should the officers be so quick to punish the coffee shop operators and hawkers when it is the government’s fault that the SOP is not in place?” asked Chan.

“In the absence of a new SOP, it doesn’t mean that the chief minister’s announcement is to be ignored as the previous SOP on dine-in should automatically apply in the meantime,” he added.

Yong of the coffeeshop association, meanwhile, told The Malaysian Insight of association members in Damai complaining about enforcement officers.

“Such incidents should not be happening.”

Yong said association members were also confused over the chief minister’s announcement as it lacked details.

“He tells us we can now serve dine-ins but has said nothing on how it should be done or about the business operating hours. Can we open after 7pm?” Yong asked.

In Sabah, business hours under the current movement-control order (MCO) are from 7am to 7pm.

Despite the reported troubles, Yong said the association welcomed the dine-in decision.

“We’re grateful. It would definitely generate a little bit more business for us.

“The tapau (takeaway) business does not make much. This dine-in decision could help us meet some of our overhead costs, like rental and staff salary.

“The preference of many people is still to eat out when the food is served hot,” he said.

Sabah is the only state in the country to allow dine-in under the current MCO that began nationwide on June 1, and has now been extended indefinitely as daily Covid-19 cases remain above 5,000 daily for the whole country.

State Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Joniston Bangkuai said the decision to open up is because the daily cases in the state is quite low.

Sabah recorded 190 new Covid-19 positive cases yesterday.

“We need to strike a balance between protecting lives and our economy,” he said.

He added that he could not recall any clusters originating from restaurants or eating places in Sabah.

Bangkuai said more important is strict compliance with the SOP. – June 29, 2021.