KUALA LUMPUR: Three big-league cinema operators denied that the images of unidentified screening halls covered with dust and mould were taken at their cinemas.
These photos had gone viral on social media and were allegedly taken in Ipoh, Perak, after the two-month closure of shopping malls due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) which started from March 18.
A TGV Cinemas spokesperson said that they conducted a thorough internal investigation and were positive that the damaged cinema halls do not belong to the brand.
"As we play a special role as a social destination for people to come together to be entertained, and especially in these unprecedented times, the health and safety of our customers and employees are our top priority," she said.
According to her, the company has strict cinema hygiene and cleanliness procedures which include having the halls thoroughly cleaned after every movie and all equipment at the Candy Bar wiped and washed daily.
"These strict guidelines were not taken for granted even during the MCO period," she said, adding that the cinema managers visited each cinema for a thorough check at least twice a week to make sure that all equipment were properly stored.
She added that the walls, curtains, carpets, seats as well as screens in the cinema halls were thoroughly sanitised and wiped clean.
"We understand that it is vital to diligently follow the maximum safety standards which will ensure peace-of-mind cinematic moments for all our customers upon reopening soon" she explained.
A set of enhanced safety measures will be executed throughout all of TGV's 36 locations when they reopen, including placing hand sanitisers throughout all locations, temperature checks on each customer at the ticket-tearing points, as well as sanitising and cleaning common customer touch-points more frequently including hall seats after every movie session.
"On top of that, social distance markers will also be placed at queue zones such as the ticket counter, kiosk, Candy Bar and washrooms.
"TGV is also planning to introduce Social Distance Seating, which is a unique seating plan that will have empty spaces between patrons," she said, adding that this is in line with the social distancing rule recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Moreover, they will also increase the time in between movie sessions to allow more thorough cleaning and sanitisation.
The brand's #TGVCares public service announcements (PSAs) will also be displayed at all locations.
She added that TGV employees will also have their temperatures checked twice a day and will also observe higher personal hygiene protocols by washing and sanitising their hands regularly as well as wearing masks.
Meanwhile, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) also denied that the mouldy screening halls were from any of its theatres nationwide.
GSC public relations and branding manager, Mohd Sharmine Ishak, said that the company ventilates its cinema halls and turns on the air conditioner to circulate the air for a few hours to make sure such occurrences do not happen at their properties.
"We've been following a stringent set of guidelines to maintain our cinemas since the first day of the MCO," he said, adding that they also carry out mould and fungal checks across all halls and seats, including proper sanitisation.
He added that they also took the time to warm and run the projectors to maintain their equipment.
"As we are not operating, it is imperative that we take even more care and precautions for our cinemas to keep them in good condition so that we will be ready to welcome customers back when the time to open comes," he added.
The same goes for Mcat Box Office (MBO) as they explained that the cinema in question was not one of theirs.
"From the start of the MCO, we have ensured that all common touch points in the cinema such as railings, counters, seats, floors, washroom and others are cleaned and disinfected weekly at all of our locations nationwide," said MBO spokesperson.