MALAYSIANS may not be able to enjoy late-night suppers or watching sporting events at 24-hours restaurants anytime soon as eatery owners continue to grapple with worker shortage. 

Aside from government restrictions on opening hours, restaurant owners said a shortage of manpower makes operating around the clock impossible.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said he prefers the new business hours that compel eateries to close at midnight. 

“We just don’t have enough workers. We don’t just want quantity; the quality of service is also important. So it is difficult for restaurants to operate 24-hours,” Jawahar, who owns the Ali Maju restaurants, told The Malaysian Insight. 

“Despite the government allowing restaurants to operate until midnight, some restaurants close at 10pm because of a shortage of workers.

“Also, I think people have adapted to the new norm that was introduced during this pandemic. So even if we want to open for longer hours, I think operating until 2am would be the maximum (for now).”

Starting January 3, all states and territories moved to phase 4 of the national recovery plan (NRP). 

Restaurants are allowed to open from 6am to midnight except for those in areas under an enhanced movement-control order.

Restaurants at the highway rest stops and airports may open 24 hours.

Jawahar said most foreign workers have returned to their countries and locals are not exactly rushing to take up restaurant jobs despite the good pay and benefits such as Employees’ Provident Fund and Social Security Organisation contributions. 

“Youngsters in our country prefer jobs as delivery riders or e-hailing drivers.

“Only a few desperate and elderly people are coming to apply for jobs, whom we do employ but still it is not enough,” he said. 

Jawahar said Presma has about 4,000 members now compared to more than 12,500 pre-Covid.

He said as of December last year, more than 2,000 mamak eateries have shuttered for good. 

“Now, after the Covid-19 pandemic brought chaos and things do not look like they’re returning to normal anytime soon, there are only about 9,000 plus restaurants left.

“A member ib Subang, who has his own building and restaurant, decided to close shop and rent out the space to a supermarket,” said Jawahar, who runs 18 outlets. 

Jawahar said even if the government were to lift restrictions, restaurant owners would only open late when there are important sporting events on TV. 

“If there is a World Cup (tournament), football matches or other major events, then we may consider but even then we need the government to lift the restrictions and hope to get enough manpower by then,” he said. 

Opening of international borders 

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association president J. Suresh said the dearth of workers had even caused some restaurants to close shop.

Suresh said about 30% of restaurants in the association have closed down in the past year.

“Almost 500 restaurants have closed during this pandemic because they could not cope with the shortage of workers and were suffering losses,” he said. 

Suresh said business will pick up when the government reopens the borders to tourists. 

“It’s a chain reaction. Not only the travel industry will benefit, restaurants like us and other sectors will also benefit. 

“But with the virus still around, I understand that the government is concerned,” he said. 

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said he would only recommend reopening the borders and relaxing quarantine requirements when the adult booster and child vaccination rates improved.

Khairy said he wished to see the the booster rate among adults improve beyond the current 52%. – February 8, 2022.