SMEs grateful for wage subsidy scheme

KUALA LUMPUR: Ziq Bakery and Cake in Gong Kapas, Kuala Terengganu, stands out for its pink windows decorated with hand-lettered quotes about coffee.

The three-month-long Movement Control Order (MCO) severely affected the bakery’s business. Its founder and managing director, Suzana Mohamed Salleh, 50, said she felt her world crumbling during the first two weeks of the MCO.

“It was a struggle when I opened this outlet 14 years ago, as government aid was not readily available then.

“We worked hard, buying machine after machine because of high demand. And because of that, we were able to hire 100 workers to work at seven of our outlets.

“In the last five years, however, the economy has slowed, and now only two outlets remain,” she told the New Straits Times yesterday.

One cafe is in Gong Kapas and the other is in Gong Badak, Kuala Nerus.

Suzana said the Covid-19 outbreak had changed the way her business operated, pushing her to explore digital platforms to boost her business.

“When the prime minister announced several initiatives to help small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), I saw a ray of hope.

“From then on, I started thinking of ways to restart my business, including doing online marketing to reach more people and doing home deliveries during the MCO.”

She said the wage subsidy programme in the Prihatin stimulus package and the Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana) had helped her retain all 50 of her full-time staff.

“When the public was allowed to go out, that also had a positive impact on our business.

“Alhamdulillah, our sales have now returned to normal.”

Suzana has more than 20 years’ experience in the baking industry.

After spending two years operating from her home, she opened a bakery workshop.

Seeing the need to develop her skills, she decided to take a three-year diploma in baking course at an institute in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

“For small companies like mine, the Prihatin and Penjana packages are lifelines.

“The allocation given to SMEs helps us to continue operating, protects our workers and encourages domestic investment.”

For char kuey teow stall operator Amalia Abdul Aziz, 36, the first and second phases of the MCO hit her business badly.

She had to close her operations in Sungai Siput and her food truck business in Meru, Ipoh.

Amalia’s sales from the Chor Char Kuey Teow stall in Kuala Kangsar dropped by 70 per cent, forcing her to put some of her 22 workers on unpaid leave.

“After the second phase of the MCO, we revamped our menu to include set lunch meals, and during Ramadan, we sold roti john.

“Despite our struggles, we were able to cope.”

Her staff, she added, did takeaways and home deliveries.

She said the wage subsidy provided in Prihatin and Penjana helped her to retain all her workers and keep her eight-year-old business afloat.

She said business had now improved.

“We’ve had this business for a long time and we are thankful for the government’s concern about small businesses and entre-preneurs like us.”

Source: NST