THE LEGAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impulsively posed new challenges to many businesses and companies around the globe due to travel and business restrictions. COVID-19 which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 11th of March 2020, which originated from Wuhan City, the People’s Republic of China has consequently crashed the downtime of the economy in Malaysia and caused a significant impact on the Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) business operation. The present study employs a mixed methodology, which includes an analysis of primary and secondary legal sources, and a questionnaires survey. The aim of this research is to identify the legal impacts on SMEs due to the COVID-19 pandemic influences on a business operation which will further assist policymakers to develop actionable policies and support the growth of SMEs in Malaysia. The government should be transparent in disseminating the post-COVID-19 data because it can be a thrust for the SMEs in planning their future agenda to “bounce back” the economic sectors effectively.