Having a hair cut seems to be the first thing people wanted to do if the Movement Control Order (MCO) is lifted. Since March 18, the first day of MCO, it has been nearly 2 months for the hair salons to close. Although Conditional MCO was introduced and many businesses are allowed to resume operation under strict Standard Operation Procedures (SOP), hair salons were not granted the permission as social distancing seemed impossible while having a hair cut.

According to The Star, barbers and their customers are urging the government to allow hair salons to reopen. Dr. Magendran Vellasamy, the chairman of the Malaysian Indian Hair Dressing Saloon Owners Association mentioned in The Star that Malaysians who are desperate for having their hair cut have been turning to barbers who offer home services and this has posed a greater danger.

  
Photo source: The Star

“Such barbers will not have any safety guidelines or standard operating procedure (SOP), so the risk of infection will be higher, ” he said, adding that barbers would not have an issue with overcrowding in the report.

“People come for haircuts only once a month. It’s not like a restaurant where customers come in regularly throughout the day.”

“Previously, the government allowed us to open in mid-April, but the number of COVID-19 cases was high so we appealed to them to wait another two weeks, but now we are not allowed to open while other sectors are allowed to, ” he said.

Meanwhile, Michael Poh, the president of the Malaysian Hairdressing Association stated that all barbers are prepared to follow the strict SOP and they are urging the government to allow hair salons to resume operation. He has submitted an SOP to the government that included temperature screening for customers and barbers, protective attires for barbers, disinfecting the outlets, banning waiting rooms, etc.

He too stressed the danger of engaging in barbers that offer home services while expressing that that is not right.

Cover photo: London School of Barbering || The Star