Kalum, who owns the Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Studio on Wayang Street here, said he had been losing thousands of ringgit every month since March and had yet to consult the SOPs set by the state government and housing ministry.

“My studio’s SOP has always been there, especially on hygiene and cross-contamination,” he told FMT.

“I haven’t accepted walk-in customers since 2008 and only work on one or two customers each day.

“I’m not sure when I’ll have my first customer now. But one thing is for sure. All the SOPs will make things difficult and raise operation costs.”

Kalum, who is known for his Iban traditional hand-tapping tattoo, said he had lost scores of customers due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I only accept customers by appointment and had to cancel all the bookings due to Covid-19, including those made by 100 customers from other countries, especially Europe.

“I’ll only start working on rescheduling their appointments next year as the country’s borders remain closed and it also depends on the situation in their respective countries.”

He has had no income for months and has been relying on his savings.

“I didn’t apply for any loan or financial aid from the government,” he said.

“I only hope the government will make things easier, especially when it comes to the SOPs as hygiene and cross-contamination have always been among my top priorities.”

Ernesto, a law graduate from a British university, founded his studio in 1998.

He learnt the traditional art of tattooing from elders in his Iban community and then studied modern techniques in which machines are used.