A KFC outlet at Johor Bahru Sentral, near the Malaysia-Singapore border, has been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This particular outlet is a common pitstop for Singaporeans and Malaysians who travel across the border.
But ever since travel restrictions between the two countries were implemented, the JB checkpoint has barely seen any visitors.
A Facebook post on Sep. 21 shows the extent of the eerie silence across the checkpoint, including the empty KFC outlet:
Photo from Kit Sin/FB.
Photo from Kit Sin/FB.
Has been closed since June 8
A Facebook user in the comments section posted a letter by Malaysia KFC's management, stating that the outlet has been closed since June 8, 2020.
The letter said:
"Dear Valued Guests,
In light of the recent announcement on Movement Restrictions the Government (sic), KFC JB SENTRAL will now be closed from 8th June 2020 until Further Notice.
Please visit the nearest outlet; KFC CITY SQUARE @ KFC KOMTAR JBCC.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Thank you for your support and understanding. Please stay safe.
The Management of KFC Malaysia."
Photo from Man Long/FB.
Businesses in JB affected by border closure
The border closure between Malaysia and Singapore has greatly affected businesses in JB.
A number of shops at JB City Square, a popular mall often visited by Singaporeans, have been forced to close.
Komtar JBCC, another mall located just across the Causeway in Malaysia, sees no crowd by 6pm.
The most affected businesses, however, are the food and beverage (F&B) outlets.
A popular JB eatery, Tang Tea House, which closed on Sep. 18, was a favourite among many Singaporean customers.
Hiap Joo, a JB bakery famous for its banana cakes, saw a 50 per cent drop in sales.
JB wants to speed up full reopening of borders
In light of the economic impact, the head of government for the state of Johor, Hasni Mohammad, has expressed his desire for Malaysia's federal government to speed up the process of a full opening of Malaysia-Singapore borders.
He met with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss the matter, and has also submitted working papers and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to Malaysia's foreign ministry.
On Sep. 11, Malaysia's Health Minister Adham Baba said that the country will assess the recovery movement control order (MCO) period over the next four months to determine if it would be possible to open borders with Singapore fully.
As of September 2020, Malaysia's MCO period will last until the end of the year, Dec. 31, 2020.
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Top images from Kit Sin/FB & Man Long/FB.