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SINGAPORE – Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli on Wednesday (April 29) praised the “cooperation and understanding” demonstrated by household food operators who were ordered to cease operations during the period of the switch, And he said that this help – financial and legal – is available to those who need it.
His comments come after criticizing those who were “trying to incite our home-based business operators to pressure the government to make exceptions” for them amid the Covid-19 measures.
He had said in a Facebook post on Monday (April 27) that such movements only rub more salt on the wounds of businessmen at home because the government cannot allow them to continue operations during this period for their safety and that of the community. .
In his latest Facebook post, Masagos, who is also Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, said he understood the frustrations of the operators.
Stricter breaker measures end F&B operations at home. These companies have to cease their activities if they require the owner to leave their home or third-party services to deliver the goods; Customers also cannot pick up the products themselves.
This comes at a particularly inopportune time for those in the Muslim community for whom selling food from home is an important source of seasonal income, especially during the period of Ramadan and Hari Raya.
A Change.org petition asking the Housing Board to review its approach to managing home businesses during the pandemic has garnered more than 69,000 signatures.
Masagos said many operators understand the reason for the painful measures and have accepted that they have to get through this period like everyone else, citing a live Facebook show by content creator Sujimi Mohamad on Monday.
With this understanding, compliance officers can focus on “the minority” who continue to circumvent the safe distancing rules.
“This is what we need: cooperation and understanding … Saving lives and keeping our people safe, including home-based food business operators, remains our top priority,” he said.
He listed three fronts on which home food business operators have received support since the new rules were announced.
Financially, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Faishal Ibrahim, as well as the Singaporean Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SMCCI), have contacted the operators to offer them assistance from various schemes.
Those who sign up for SMCCI, for example, will automatically qualify for one-time assistance of $ 500 through the Temporary Aid Fund.
He also noted that free legal support is available to operators who are now unable to meet their obligations and cannot reach an agreement with their clients.
They can contact pro bono attorneys who have offered their services at [email protected], and have legal protection under Covid-19 (Temporary Measures), he said.
SMCCI is also collecting feedback from operators to determine if more long-term help is needed, possibly in the form of logistics and delivery support or training to increase the sector’s resilience.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said Monday that rules governing home food operators during the circuit interruption period could be eased if community broadcast numbers are reduced.
Masagos said: “If we all cooperate and remain calm, it will be in time for Hari Raya’s orders.”
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