PETALING JAYA, May 6 — Essential workers in the logistics industry are working around the clock to ensure Malaysians can still have a joyful Ramadan as we move towards our “new normal.”
With the conditional movement control order (CMCO) in place, the fulfilment team at Ninja Van has gone full steam ahead to complete next-day deliveries for Ramadan essentials purchased online.
It’s business almost as usual, as employees still have to wear masks, practise social distancing, and keep their hands sanitised as they get packages from point A to point B.
Ninja Van freight customs coordinator Farah Faisal is on the graveyard shift, clocking in from 8pm to 5am at the warehouse to monitor the fulfilment of next-day deliveries during this busy period.
“In the latter stages of the movement control order (MCO) and early stages of Ramadan, the warehouse team has seen quite an increase in parcels processed daily.
“My shift starts at 8pm and we have to unload parcels picked up by our drivers and sort them by destination and according to coverage areas.
“We’ve only got a very short window to ensure next-day delivery, so we have to rush to prepare parcels to be loaded into our linehaul trucks,” Farah told Malay Mail.
Ninja Van Malaysia country head Adzim Halim said that there was an initial dip in the number of deliveries at the start of the MCO but the numbers quickly ramped up once businesses started adjusting to the new normal.
“We have seen a general increase in volume since then, due to the fact that most retail outlets are closed and consumers are looking to e-commerce to get what they need.
“We have had to hire significantly more warehouse staff to cope with the short-term increase in demand for bulkier parcels during the MCO.
“It has been difficult because we still have to also respect social distancing measures, but we’ve definitely had to scale up,” he told Malay Mail.
Household essentials and electronics like washing machines, televisions and microwaves are some of the most common items that make their way through the warehouse daily, along with parcels containing baju raya in conjunction with the upcoming festive season.
It hasn’t always been easy navigating the new standard operating procedures and Farah said there have been hurdles popping up in the workplace that have impacted their productivity.
“There are mandatory temperature checks daily, frequent hand sanitisation, and we have to wear a face mask in the warehouse for our own safety.
“It's quite difficult to constantly be aware of social distancing, especially when it gets busy.
“Imagine having to move items like washing machines and chest freezers while wearing face masks during Ramadan. As a result, our productivity has taken a slight hit.”
Nevertheless, Farah and her teammates are striving forward, working across three shifts 24 hours a day, six days a week.
The 27-year-old said she feels lucky to be working in a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has put many out of a job.
While her family did have concerns about the risks of exposure, Farah said that taking pre-emptive safety precautions and sticking to the rules has helped allay their fears about her going to work each day.
“We understand that not everyone is allowed to work and that puts us in an important position since we are able to continue working.
“Being able to serve the community during these tough times keeps me motivated to continue working hard to make sure people who are stuck at home can get their packages.”
