Hana Batrisya (left) and her husband Muhammad Nur (centre) attending to customers at her stall in a food court along Macalister Road in Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
AS CLICHÉD as it may sound, one door closed for Hana Batrisya Zainol during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, but another opened for her.
She and her husband Muhammad Nur Azizee Roslan, 26, lost their airline jobs in November 2020.
“I didn’t know what else I could do as I started working as a flight attendant right after my SPM examination.
“That was the only job I had been doing prior to the pandemic, so being retrenched was scary,” Hana Batrisya, 25, recalled.
Without an income, the couple went through much anxiety.
“It was then that my mother, who ran a food business, encouraged me to try it out.”
Now, she has a nasi lemak business at a food court in Macalister Road, Penang.
Her husband has since rejoined the airline, working as a flight caterer.
“Going into business really made our lives much better.
“I am glad my family was supportive,” said the mother of a five-month-old girl.
Hana Batrisya now enjoys a better work-life balance.
“I can play with my baby girl at night, either read her a story book or sing her a lullaby.
“If I had worked on as a stewardess, I might not have had such flexibility.
“I would not have been able to spend much time with my baby as there would have been constant travelling,” she said.
“I now have the best of both worlds, juggling the business and motherhood. My parents and my brother are helping out as well,” she said.
When the first movement control order was introduced in March 2020, beauty and hair salons were among those that had to close their doors to customers.
Beautician Jenny Wong was among those impacted.
Without commissions, the single mother of one ended up with major pay cuts during the first few months of the movement control order (MCO).
Then came the good news at a time when her savings were fast depleting.
Her sister got her a job as a helper at an economy rice stall in Ayer Itam.
That helped ease the family’s financial burden.
“The income is almost double what I was earning as a beautician. My life changed for the better. I have more to spend on my son and my parents,” said Wong.
There is a downside, though.
“I have to be on my feet all day, manning the stall. It’s really tiring.
“This is unlike the days when I was working in the air-conditioned room as a beautician,” she said.
For now, Wong is also helping out part-time at a beauty salon.
Given a choice, she said she would love to work full-time in the beauty industry again.
“That’s my passion, but now, I am quite happy with the work arrangement. If the salon has many bookings, I get to step in,” she said.
Chow says respiratory viruses would evolve and become milder.
Penang Hospital infectious disease consultant and infection prevention and control coordinator Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo said respiratory viruses would evolve and become milder.
“Things are better for us now as 50% to 60% of the people here have received three doses of the Covid-19 vaccines.
“While Covid-19 will not disappear as there is a natural reservoir for them in animals, there is immunity,” said Dr Chow, adding that Covid-19 virus would continue to evolve.
She also spoke about antivirals for the high-risk population.
“We have the means to care for them even if there is a Covid 2.0.
“We can manage better, and it will not come in a big wave,” she said.
