JAKARTA – Alphonzus Widjaja, Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), stated that shopping centers throughout the region are operating normally, despite the temporary closure of Atrium Senen. To date, there have been no reports of other malls suspending operations since the mass demonstrations.
"Shopping centers are making every effort to operate normally from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. But, of course, safety must always be a priority," Alphonzus said when contacted by VOI on Monday, September 1.
He believes that the continued operation of shopping centers is crucial to ensuring people can continue to meet their basic needs, especially amidst these volatile conditions. Mall closures, Alphonzus continued, could create a sense of fear amidst an unstable social climate.
"Shopping centers are public facilities. Public facilities that serve the needs of the community. So, people should have easy access to basic necessities, especially daily necessities. So, I think that's the most important thing to maintain in a situation like this. We must ensure that people don't have difficulty obtaining basic necessities," he said.
"Shopping centers are strategic public facilities, so they must convey a sense of security. Closing a shopping center creates an even more frightening impression for the public. So, I think that's something to avoid," he continued.
Alphonzus added that although mall managers can temporarily close for safety reasons in certain situations, the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (APPBI) encourages all its members to continue operating normally.
APPBI, along with retail and supplier associations, is intensifying daily coordination to maintain a secure supply chain. "There's a surge in purchases, but it's still relatively manageable. We also continue to ensure the supply chain is maintained through almost daily coordination meetings with retail and supplier associations," he explained.
APPBI also requested government support to ensure the security of supplies of basic necessities to ensure smooth distribution.
"Government support is crucial, especially in maintaining the supply chain to ensure the community's basic needs are guaranteed," he concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
