ABSTRACT
From the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 until now, the Malaysian government has implemented various steps in curbing the spread of the virus in order to reduce the infection risk in all regions as well as among rural communities. The implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by the government;designed to control intra- and inter-state and/or district movements and travels has been accepted and accustomed as the new norm in curbing the transmission of infection. This is especially among the vulnerable community groups i.e., elderly people and people with chronic diseases. Although MCO is crucial to curb the virus, this restriction of movement has also inhibited the activities of many important economic sectors especially on transportation of goods and other services. With a consideration that there is a dearth of studies, specifically about the impact of COVID-19 on the socioeconomic condition of the rural communities in specific context;a comprehensive study has been conducted involving 39 selected rural settlements for the whole Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 504 respondents/head of households had participated in the questionnaire survey. Research findings have shown the majority of respondents experienced socioeconomic impacts from MCO and the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly between 50% to 75% income reductions. This is contributed by two main factors: the MCO which hindered them to go out for work and carry out business activities as well as declining sales of produce or livestock. The research findings also reveal that 15% to 25% of the rural communities experienced food supply disruption. This is categorised as low to moderate level. It is important to note that since majority of the respondents are having low income, they are highly vulnerable to this volatile situation. Outcomes of this research could offer meaningful information regarding the current socioeconomic condition of rural communities in relation to the MCO and prolongation of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the way forward, there should be a more inclusive Build Back Better (BBB) strategies for creating a future more resilient rural community to pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The prolongation of the Pandemic COVID-19 has undermined the healthcare system and negatively impacted the economy and social development on a global and regional scale. At the human settlement level, responding to the pandemic situation has altered the broad spectrum of our daily routine down to the family and individual levels. Prior to the lockdown popularly known as the Movement Control Order (MCO), which the government introduced, the public was urged to limit outdoor movements and stay at home hence, encouraging the adoption of Work From Home (WFH) for employees and Home-based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) for the academic community and school students. Other than technological readiness for online working and teaching, the new normal also prompted new challenges for households in utilizing indoor spaces at home, especially for quarantine as well as for WFH and PdPR activities. In this light, a series of household surveys using questionnaires to determine the preference and usage of indoor space among households have been conducted in 39 locations/settlements across peninsular Malaysia. A total of 504 respondents participated and fieldwork and interview processes. Findings of the study indicated a majority of respondents have to designate indoor spaces/rooms for home quarantine (58%), and the three indoor spaces, in particular, have been monitored regularly by respondents during the pandemic, namely living areas (39%), kitchen (25%) and bedroom (21%). During MCO, most of them spent 1 to 4 hours per day for PdPR (43%), and 47% of respondents have a designated learning space at home for PdPR. In summary, pandemic COVID-19 has raised awareness among households regarding the selection and usage of indoor space to conduct various activities while they have to stay at home.
ABSTRACT
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world dramatically. The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic has widely impacted on Malaysia’s economy, especially towards the small-scale economic activities related to the small medium enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, this paper aims to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic towards the resilience of SMEs in Johor, Malaysia. The research methodology employed a quantitative method through a survey method via questionnaire sampling of 60 owners involved in SMEs operators across the case study. The research finding indicated that the Covid-19 pandemic had a massive influence on the economy of the majority of SMEs operators, especially on their income generations which average losses in revenue of more than 50 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic compared to 2019. This resulted from the shutdown of their business activities to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Other findings highlighted that the government’s initiatives to address the economic impact of SMEs yet insufficient to sustain business activities and income generations for instance access to financing facilities, product marketing opportunities and others. Therefore, required immediate initiatives should be made by all the stakeholders to reduce the economic impacts among the SMEs.