PETALING JAYA: A group representing some 15,000 professionals in the property and real estate sectors has urged the government to allow them to operate during the movement control order but under strict SOPs.
They said the MCO has halted the operations of most firms in the industry, which are SME businesses.
“Whatever reserves that the SMEs may have had to tide over difficult periods have by now been depleted.
“We appeal to the government to reconsider the consequences of extending this lockdown not only to the general economy but to the surveying, valuation and property-related firms,” the group said in a joint statement.
The group comprises the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM), the Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector Malaysia (PEPS), the Malaysian Institute of Property & Facility Managers (MIPFM), the Malaysian Institute of Professional Estate Agents & Consultants (MIPEAC), the Business Valuers Association of Malaysia (BVAM) and Persatuan Perunding Hartanah Muslim Malaysia (Peham).
It said that if the MCO had to be extended, these firms should be allowed to operate under strict SOPs.
“Most of them can work from home but they have to maintain skeletal staff in the office to access files, receive calls and photocopy documents, and generally keep the office going,” the group said.
It appealed to the government to consider opening up critical sectors such as construction and property, and professional services to support them.
“Contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Sosco should be put on hold for the duration of the lockdown to ease the financial burden of the businesses,” it said.
“Create an emergency fund from the contribution of large companies which are not affected by the pandemic and allowed to operate since the beginning of MCO 1.0. This fund should be used as a safety net for any family who has fallen victim to the economic fallout due to the lockdown.”
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/06/30/let-us-operate-under-strict-sops-plead-property-real-estate-sectors/