Clarification On Hotels As Quarantine Centres

CLARIFICATION ON HOTELS AS QUARANTINE CENTRES

“MAH Is Working Closely With MOTAC Coordinating Hotels Turned Quarantine Centres”

Wisma MAH, Ampang (7 April 2020) - At approximately 6.05pm today, online news portal “Free Malaysia Today” published an inaccurate article titled “Hotel group not aware of RM150 “subsidy” for quarantine stay”, reporting that the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is not aware that the government would only subsidise the stay of those under Covid-19 quarantine at a cost of RM150, as opposed to paying for the room in full.

FMT reporter made the assumption based on MAH’s reply as quoted “That’s not what we were briefed” in response to an earlier statement made by Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. MAH would like to clarify that the association and its members are well aware of the room rate for the stays complete with three meals daily as per the government’s approved budget and agreed upon by its member hotels participating in the initiative.

“MAH was in discussion with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) from day one and had been kept well informed on the government’s intentions. Hotels participating as quarantine centres agreed to the rate partially as CSR serving the government’s needs,” explained Yap Lip Seng, Chief Executive Officer of MAH.

When asked about reported complaints and concerns by the general public residing at locations of these hotel turned quarantine centres, Yap added that these hotels are supervised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). “The returning Malaysians placed under quarantine are NOT patients, under the mandatory quarantine, they are to remain in the hotel room for the entire 14 days, with no one going in or out of the rooms,” said Yap.

Being gazetted as quarantine centres also means that the property will be under close surveillance before, during and immediately after the quarantine period. Hotels are suitable alternatives due to its support systems and standard operating procedures in place, in addition to providing a more comfortable and equipped quarantine stay for Malaysians returning home.

“The public should be more concerned of unregulated home-sharing activities like airbnb in residential areas, where there are no records or control of who is staying, where they are from or where they had been prior to arriving,” Yap added that they have cautioned the authorities earlier that such activities could jeopardise the government’s efforts in stopping the spread of Covid-19. Airbnb last reported over 53,000 listings in Malaysia.

Apartment and condominium managements need to relook into its priorities and impose house rules restricting home-sharing to protect its permanent residents and their families. The Covid- 19 is a wakeup call for everyone to make necessary changes and be prepared for the future.

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About the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH)

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) is the umbrella body for hotels in Malaysia formed in 1974 and initially established by a group of concerned and dedicated hoteliers to bring about a more dynamic hospitality industry aimed at building a workforce of highly skilled, innovative and disciplined individuals. Its long-term goal was to enhance the efficiency of the hospitality industry, thus, bringing about a more dynamic Malaysian hospitality industry. MAH, as the official national network for the hotel industry, represents more than 900 hotels throughout Malaysia supplying a total of 155,287 rooms which is about 65% of the total number of hotel rooms available as guest accommodation in this country. With 13 chapters across the nation, MAH acts as a voice of the industry, working as one body to promote, protect, represent and advance the interests of its members.

About MAHTEC

MAHTEC Sdn Bhd commenced its fiscal year in 1998 to profile MAH as a human resource development provider and to upgrade the skills and knowledge of staff-in-service in the industry. MAHTEC is the training arm of the Association specializing in developing quality human resources in the hospitality industry. Highly specialized in the areas of Hospitality Skills Training and Managerial Development Training, all programs are facilitated by experienced and qualified Trainers through workshops and practical session.