#Showbiz: Seniman calls for another round of loan moratorium

KUALA LUMPUR: Persatuan Seniman Malaysia (Seniman) is proposing the government to allow moratorium and discount on electricity bills to those in the creative industry whose livelihood have been severely affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the 2-week Movement Control Order (MCO) coming into effect beginning today in six states including the Federal Territory and Selangor, and state of emergency throughout the country until August 1, its president Zed Zaidi said that this group would definitely feel the impact, just as badly as how it had been since the first wave of the pandemic.

"While we accept the need to implement the MCO in order to break the chain of infection, the situation actually worries the arts practitioners who have been suffering since last March.

"There are those who have just started small businesses to make ends meet, only to be tested with another round of MCO.

"I hope the government will look into reintroducing another round of moratorium and the electricity bill discount," he said in a news report today.

"Bank moratorium and discount for electricity bills would greatly help ease their burden," said Zed who hoped that many of his fellow arts practitioners would not be losing their homes should they fail to settle their mortgage and home loans due to the current situation.