THE movement control order (MCO) following the Covid-19 pandemic was a very challenging period for the bereavement industry.

Nirvana Alliance Sdn Bhd chief operating officer (Sibu and Kota Kinabalu) Au Kok Hua said business had to be conducted in the hybrid mode during that time.

“We took many measures and changed our policy to sell products through videos, promotional materials and online.

“We also organised online training courses to teach the people how to use electronic gadgets,” he said at the company’s Star Award 2019 and 2020 presentation for its top sales agents in Sibu.

At the height of the MCO, especially when full lockdown was imposed, Au said agents faced daunting tasks in selling burial plots.

He said that in the beginning, the people, especially senior citizens, faced difficulty in using electronic devices but overcame them after a period of time.

“In the past two years, the pandemic caused the loss of more than 40,000 lives and death was unpredictable for a long time.

“After many people got the vaccination and the booster dose, the situation improved and the number of confirmed cases in the country dropped drastically,” said Au.

People, he said, learnt an invaluable lesson from the pandemic as they were buying burial plots for future use.

He congratulated the award-winning agents and hoped Sibu agents would continue serving the public with an indomitable spirit.