POWERLESS: Joe's Unisex Salon without electricity supply over the weekend
FOR more than 20 years, Petaling Jaya's popular barber, M. Inthirarasa, affectionately known among his customers and friends as 'Barber Joe', has been cutting and beautifying the crowning glories of people in and around the town.
The 60-year-old's business premise, Joe's Unisex Salon, in Jalan Sultan here, is also a popular meeting place for PJ residents, including corporate leaders, sportsmen and celebrities.
However, it seems his business is under threat after an unexpected stand-off with the new management of the building where his salon is located.
Barber Joe said the management had raised the rent to more than double the original, leaving him in dire straits.
"I had no problem with the previous management. When the new management took over in March this year, the problems started," he said when met at his salon.
"How could they increase the rent so drastically? It is totally unfair to business owners like me."
Barber Joe refused to give in to the demands of the new management and decided not to pay the rent.
However, he said this only created a bigger problem with the management, which has cut off the power supply to his salon during weekends.
"They started to disconnect the power supply every weekend beginning last month. It's not like I didn't pay my electricity bill.
"I paid it religiously until April but I did not receive the bill for May. My business has been disrupted."
Barber Joe, a father of three, said he usually had 15 to 20 customers on a weekday and double the number on Saturday and Sunday.
"Because of the power cut, I cannot do business during the weekend. Despite this, I'm at my salon to explain the situation to my customers."
One of his regular customers, IT security officer N. Sivananthan, 40, had arrived with his children for a haircut when they noticed the salon was in darkness.
After being told the situation, Sivananthan shook his head and said: "This is an iconic salon in this area. I've been getting my haircut here since I was a bachelor. Even after I got married, I travelled all the way from Shah Alam to get my haircut here.
"My two children, who are 17 and 14, have been getting their haircuts from Barber Joe since they were babies."
Retiree K. Sivanathan, 60, has been a regular customer since the salon opened in 1989.
"I have my hair cut once every three weeks. On other days, I just come here to meet with my friends. It is disappointing to learn the salon is not operating during the weekends because of the power cut. I don't know how this matter will be resolved but, hopefully, things will get back to normal soon."
With nobody to turn to, Barber Joe has sought the assistance of Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee, who said he had looked into the problem.
"A lot of things are not according to how they should be," he said, added that he had brought up the issue to PJ mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman.
Lee said he would provide details at a Press conference tomorrow.
