LETTERS: After 90 per cent of the total adult population had been fully vaccinated, the interstate travel ban was lifted.
The ordeal of many people, especially those who work in the tourism industry, has been eased. Small and large businesses will restore their profits after incurring huge losses for months. Most Malaysians who have been waiting for this moment for so long now euphorically return to their hometowns.
They miss their parents so much due to the interstate travel ban during Aidilfitri, Aidiladha, Chinese New Year and Deepavali. We can see traffic congestion in all states, hustle and bustle in tourist attractions, restaurants, petrol stations, etc.
The tourism industry is in the process of recovery. Hotels and public transports are expected to rake in better revenues. Discounts are offered to entice people to plan for holidays and spend time with their families and friends to release their stress of being confined for so long.
The Covid-19 pandemic seriously caused great suffering to most Malaysians, especially unemployed workers. Great stress ensued from unemployment. Hence, a few committed suicide. A total of 155,893 workers lost their jobs since the Covid-19 outbreak until September this year.
However, the figures still did not include those who experienced a reduction in their incomes due to working from home or a decrease in companies' profits. This implies that household expenditure was tremendously affected.
The unemployment rate in Malaysia stood at 4.77 per cent in the 3rd quarter of 2021, 4.59 per cent (Q2), and 4.82 per cent (Q1). The rates were worse than that in 2019 prior to the pandemic at 3.29 per cent.
The lifting of the interstate travel restriction expectedly reduces the unemployment rate to 3.3 - 4 per cent as many unemployed workers start to have jobs.
Household expenditure will escalate as employment increases, and interstate travel is allowed. The economy is expected to grow by 3 - 5 per cent owing to higher demand for goods and services, and Malaysia will recover from economic recession.
Now, we can breathe a sigh of relief and thank all the people who were willing to take vaccines and that we can enjoy our normal lives despite the requirement to abide by the SOP.
Regrettably, there are still some who refuse to be inoculated. Their misperception that vaccination is a hidden agenda from some parties must be debunked as many medical experts have evidently proven that Covid-19 is real.
We can also see many people have succumbed to the virus not only in Malaysia but also in other countries.
Dr Siti Nurhazwani Kamarudin
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Accountancy
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Selangor
Dr. Mohd Shahidan Shaari
Senior Lecturer Faculty of Applied and Human Sciences
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times