KUALA LUMPUR: As the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) entered the second day yesterday, several pawn shops reopened their doors.
Checks by the New Straits Times found long queues outside several pawn shops as early as 8am.
Some customers said they wanted to pawn their gold jewellery because they were unable to make ends meet and pay medical bills, while others said they wanted to pay delayed interests on loans or renew their pawn receipts for valuables.
Kavitha Prabagaren, 26, who lined up outside a pawn shop in Sentul Boulevard, said she had to renew the receipt on the valuables that she had pawned last year and put down as collateral as she needed the money to pay for her mother's medical bills.
She said her mother had heart problems and she needed money to cover the medical fees, which were about RM40,000.
"We had to pawn our valuables last year to cover my mother's medical bills. We were given six months to pay off the loans. The loan interest charge is only two per cent and is charged every month. This pawn shop offers the lowest interest charges.
"We could not go out during the MCO and it was difficult for us to find money to pay the bills. It's a relief the CMCO was announced. We really need the money."
Nor Hasimah Nasra, 43, went to the pawn shop as she wanted to redeem some jewellery.
"I have a freelance job and don't have a fixed income. Because of Covid-19 and the MCO, life has been a struggle for my family."
A spokesman for a pawn shop in Jalan Sentul here said the shop had been receiving a lot of customers since Monday.
He said about 80 people queued outside the store from 9am on Monday and some 50 people went to the shop yesterday.
"We understand that people need money in this situation and we will serve them the best we can. We are allowed to open and we will follow the standard operating procedure set by the government. We will check customers' temperature and give them hand sanitiser before they enter the premises.
"We will make sure they abide by social distancing rules. Only one person is allowed into the premises at a time."
A long queue was spotted at another popular pawn shop, Sin Loong Pawn Shop, at about 2pm.
Malaysia Pawnbrokers Association president Tan Ho Keng said there was nothing extraordinary about the huge crowds at pawn shops on Monday and yesterday.
He said the situation was "normal" as customers wanted to carry out the transactions that had been put on hold since the MCO began on March 18.
He said many customers wanted to redeem pawned items, make interest payments and extend the term, while a small number wanted to pawn some items.
"It seems as if we are dealing with a high number of customers because they are adhering to social distancing rules. Only two customers can enter the premises at any time, compared with 10 before this," he told Bernama.
Tan said business operations for pawn shops during the CMCO were from 9am to 2pm only.
"Many want to redeem their pawned jewellery because they want to wear them for Hari Raya."