Association president William Cheng noted that most of the measures were just extensions of previous announcements.

“The grim reality is that many retailers and retail businesses continue to struggle to make ends meet and cope with high operating costs,” he said in a statement.

On top of the reduced rental rates under Pemerkasa Plus, Cheng called for the government to ask landlords to allow a gross turnover rent or give a full waiver on the gross rental.

He also called for the wage subsidy programme to be extended until year end, with subsidies set at 50% for an unlimited number of employees per company earning RM4,000 and below.

The suspension of the Human Resources Development Fund levy should also be extended until the end of the year, he added.

Cheng said a full waiver or at least a 50% discount on electricity and water bills would help businesses sustain their operations, while the loan moratorium should be extended for another year.

“We want the moratorium to be implemented automatically for at least one year for all instead of (being) conditional and targeted, as all businesses are interconnected,” he said.

“This, we feel, is not unreasonable as the current interest rate for deposits is at an all-time low.”