KOTA KINABALU: The 10% discount on electricity bills for economic sectors such as hotels, theme parks, convention centres, shopping malls and tourism companies is not enough, says the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)'s Sabah and Labuan chapter.

       Its chairman Hafizan Wong said while any discount was appreciated, it was not enough to help many hotels stay afloat.

       “As for Sabah, we do hope the Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd and Water Department can consider giving 50% discounts for a year,” he said.

       He said when Covid-19 broke out in Sabah last year, hoteliers certainly did not foresee the extent of the pandemic.

       “Now, many businesses have closed down and likewise, the hotel industry will not be able to stay afloat if not rendered assistance,” he said.

       Wong also said the wage subsidy programme which would allow employers to apply for subsidies even on those earning over RM4,000 a month, unlike the previous programme, was helpful for employers in this sense.

       “For the hotels still in operation, it is extremely difficult to cover costs, so to stay afloat, we firstly need a comprehensive wage subsidy program to avoid further staff retrenchment.

       “The wage subsidy program in 2020 covered up to a maximum of RM4,000 salary but now the subsidy covers all staffing levels,” he said.

       Wong also hoped that the government would consider hastening the vaccination for hoteliers as they too should be deemed frontline workers.

       “Hoteliers are continually faced with guests and clients on a daily basis and despite every precautionary measure in place, the risk of exposure is still very high,” he said.

       The Small and medium (SME) Association of Sabah president Foo Ngee Kee meanwhile said the assistance programmes were quite comprehensive and very much welcomed.

       “From many of the items announced such as the doing away of the wage subsidy salary limit conditions, they can really help those unemployed and those who had pay cuts,” he said.

       However, he hoped the government would clear some of the subsidy areas from the previous programme and to ensure that this round, the disbursement of funds would be faster.

       Foo said the extension of bank moratoriums, Malaysia’s Special Prihatin Grant 4.0, and exemption of payments for the HRD levy for two months to employers who were not able to operate during the lockdown also allowed employers a breather.

       He said those who did not manage to register for Malaysia's Special Prihatin Grant 3.0 could do so this round.

       “Remember the date to start registering so that you won’t miss out this round,” he urged.