Malaysia’s economic outlook is upbeat, but small businesses feel the pinch

[KUALA LUMPUR] Jessica Looi, who runs a Chinese restaurant in Petaling Jaya in Selangor, is struggling to get the business to break even. The spectre of closure is looming.

The restaurant’s parent company recently shuttered two outlets in Kuala Lumpur on the back of poor sales.

Her outlet, sited in a bustling commercial area, used to pull in daily earnings in the five digits in better times. Lately, it has been a struggle to make even a few hundred ringgit.