KUALA LUMPUR: It has been almost four weeks since the implementation of movement control order (MCO) to break the Covid-19 pandemic chain and many are starting to complain about their hair, menfolk in particular.
Last Friday, under the third phase of the MCO, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that several other sectors will be allowed to resume operations, including hair salons and barber shops.
However, this has become a heated issue as some have voiced their reservations and concerns over infection risks should barbershops open their doors once more.
Nevertheless, men now can choose to adopt a bald look ala-Hollywood actor Vin Diesel or continue to skip the barbers and let their locks grow ala-Malaysian heartthrob Ben Amir who likes to tie his hair in a man bun and ponytail.
An accountant, Iskandar Reqzi Irwan, 30, is happy to grow his hair as his wife could no longer press him to cut it.
“I’m a David Beckham fan so I used to have long hair and wear it in a man-bun fashion like him (Beckham). But my wife doesn’t like it so I had to cut it short. Now that the barbershop is closed during MCO, I am going to keep it long again.
“After all, it’s not hard to manage long hair,” he said.
Meanwhile, a regular patron, Reyhan Hilman, 30, who keeps a shoulder-length hairstyle misses his hair stylist’s services.
“At the moment, I trim the hair-ends and beard myself and it’s not a problem. I can accept that the hair colour is not as pretty as usual but I miss washing my hair there,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nadzarul Amir Zainal Azam, 41, who always dons a clean-cut hairstyle, chose to cut his own hair. He usually visits the barber at least once a month.
“I had already expected the MCO to be extended for another two weeks so I decided to buy my own trimmer online, it was priced under RM100.
“My father was also feeling uncomfortable as his hair was getting longer too. So, I bought the trimmer without hesitation,” he said.
Nadzarul Amir believes that it is better to take extra precautionary measures during these times.
“(At the barbershop) it’s going to be hard to maintain social distancing or ensure whether the hair cutting tools are clean enough. I bought the clipper with a standard price just in case the cheaper one breaks easily,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head coach of the Johor cycling team, Junaidi Mohamad Nasir has made his wife, Asmadilah M. Noor, his personal barber throughout the MCO.
“At first, my wife hesitated but I urged her to do it because it was becoming very uncomfortable once my hair grew long and bushy.
“Even if barbershops are allowed to operate, I wouldn’t dare to go for safety reasons. We do not know who went there and we do not want a new (Covid-19) cluster emerging from barber shops,” said the former assistant national coach. – Bernama
