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PETALING JAYA: This weekend was the “worst Friday” for restaurant and bar owners in the popular Telawi area of Bangsar after police raids caused confusion over whether the sale of alcoholic beverages was allowed under the control order of motion (MCO).
Claiming that they had suffered an 80% to 90% loss of business after police raids in the area on Friday, the restaurant owners said they will seek a meeting with officials from the National Security Council (MKN), the Kuala Lumpur City Council. (DBKL) and the police.
Restaurant Bar Owners Association spokesman Joshua Bilique urged the government to create consistent rules that apply across the board to all establishments that sell alcoholic beverages.
“We need a clear and fair announcement that applies across the board. Have a level playing field for all restaurants and bars in Kuala Lumpur, ”he said. “The whole city must have the same rules.”
The owners of restaurants in Telawi were confused on Friday when police said the establishments could not serve liquor.
“Last night at 4 pm, the police told us that we could not serve alcohol in our bars. Then at 8.30pm they said we can serve alcohol but not from the bar. At that time, all of our clients have chosen to go elsewhere, ”said Bilique.
He said the raid affected only the Telawi area and that restaurants and bars in other areas of Kuala Lumpur were unharmed.
“We really don’t know what is going to happen in the next week. It is usually something important to us on Fridays. But now we have losses from unused alcohol and also from food waste, ”said Bilique.
“We had full reserves and then after the raid it was completely empty.”
He added that the restaurants were also operating at less than half capacity.
“There are fewer customers and at the same time, there is no business on Friday nights, one of the only times when we can make money.”
Bilique maintained that MKN has said that restaurants and bars can stay open and serve alcohol and that only nightclubs and pubs cannot open.
He said the raids had left a bad impression on customers who would now think that the Telawi area, usually a popular attraction for customers every Friday and Saturday night, was now a “hot spot” for the police action he enforced. the MCO.
“Everyone is afraid of being fined. Customers will no longer come. They would think that Bangsar is now unsafe. “
He said restaurant owners were also threatened with fines.
Bilique said restaurants had been able to receive up to RM20,000 per night prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but revenues fell to RM5,000 during the MCO’s recovery last year.
On Friday, the police visited around 30 bars and restaurants in the Telawi area at 4 pm, saying they were acting according to the rules set by the MKN.
Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Saiful Azly Kamaruddin later told the FMT that “locals who have a bar and restaurant license cannot open their bar counters.” When told that the owners claimed they were operating with a restaurant license, he replied, “So restaurants should only sell food.”
