PADANG BESAR: The reopening of the nation’s borders which can help revive the country’s economy is certainly a welcome move for the people especially traders here.
State Border Relations and Cooperation Committee chairman Ruzaini Rais, however, reminded all quarters not to take the standard operating procedures (SOP) lightly to prevent further Covid-19 transmissions.
“It is undeniable that, the reopening of the country’s borders will revive the tourism and economic sectors but the health aspect must be taken into account too.
“The level of people’s compliance with the SOP should be improved and discussions with neighbouring countries must also be held comprehensively,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
A Bernama check at Arked Niaga Padang Besar found most traders opined that the reopening of the country’s borders would help businesses recover from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Furniture trader Roslan Ibrahim, 46, said his business had been badly affected following the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020.
“Prior to the pandemic, I would personally meet my suppliers in Thailand to choose the items and place orders for my shop.
“But after the borders were closed, orders can only be made via phone call and I am unable to check the quality of the products. This complicates our daily business operation,” he told Bernama.
Bag trader Muhammad Mokhtar, 33, said the reopening of the country’s borders was expected to boost the number of tourists coming to the state and help revive the economy of local entrepreneurs who were affected by the MCO.
“It will provide some form of relief to traders here because most tourists who want to visit Thailand via Padang Besar will stopover here,” he added.-Bernama