ALOR SETAR: More than 100 traders and fishermen whose businesses in Kuala Sala are affected by a misunderstanding over the Covid-19 Sala cluster which emerged last Saturday.
Checks in the area found many traders had closed shop while fishermen remained on land following a significant decline in customers after news of the cluster broke.
When met, they explained that the Sala Cluster was not linked to Kuala Sala.
A fish trader, Siti Rahmah Bakar, 38, said she lost about 90 per cent of her income ever since regulars including fishmongers stopped frequenting her business.
"Usually I can earn up to RM2,000 a day. But now it is even difficult to get RM200. Only locals come to buy my fish.
"Kuala Sala has nothing to do with the Sala cluster. We understand that the Sala cluster started in Guar Chempedak in Sala Besar, which is a sub-district in Yan.
"Kuala Sala is in Sala Kecil, in the district of Kota Setar some 20km away from Guar Chempedak. And due to this misunderstanding, many have stopped coming over to buy fish from us," she said.
Fisherman Osman Hussin, 59, said he had stopped fishing because no traders or fishmongers wanted to by fish from him since the emergence of the Sala cluster.
"I have two school-going children. I have had no income for five consecutive days now. I can only, for now, depend on farm rental to get some money. It is not enough to support my family.
"Before news of the cluster made the headlines, I earned between RM50 and RM150 per day."
A retail shop owner, Mohd Yusoff Osman, 60, said most of the traders here were dependent on businesses brought by outsiders.
"About 70 per cent of their income are from businesses with outsiders. I hope people will understand better that the Sala cluster did not come from Kuala Sala."
Last Saturday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Sala cluster was detected in Yan, with its index case, Case-9,148, being a local man who tested positive on Aug 13 at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital.