Despite the appeal to keep calm and not panic, Malaysians are currently in a frenzy for fear of a lockdown from the alarming increase of Covid-19 cases.
Social media is currently filled with photos and videos of people stocking up on goods from their nearest supermarkets and grocery stores.
Since this morning (Monday, 16th March), long queues were reported at most shopping centres where people were filling up their trolleys with dry goods, daily necessities (rice, soap, oil) as well as toilet rolls.
The panic-buying is largely prompted by the growing fear that the government implement lockdown measures in an effort to stabilise the infection outbreak. In most places, face masks and hand sanitisers have already been snapped up.
Check out what happened today:
— Khairul Azri (@mkhairulazri) March 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/SyahidAdnan/status/1239434596216782849
Hmmm shit just got even real.. https://t.co/5vUklulJjR
— Khairul Azri (@mkhairulazri) March 16, 2020
Forget #tourism or #oil. The hottest business in #Malaysia right now is #groceries. Rumours of am impending lockdown are fuelling panic buying in #supermarkets. pic.twitter.com/Y2BRborw90
— Check-in Asia (@CheckinAsia) March 16, 2020
Situation in Giant Shah Alam Seksyen 13 at 1PM. Maybe panic buying, maybe buying supplies for the school holiday.#schoolholiday #covid19malaysia pic.twitter.com/viAJHrbNiU
— james leng (@jameslengjy) March 16, 2020
https://twitter.com/liztai/status/1239409009418883074
Where have all the toilet paper gone? Use a bidet la!#malaysia #COVID19malaysia pic.twitter.com/BkBXU2LUTF
— Dr Ingky (@dr_ingky) March 15, 2020
Panic-buying has begun. #COVID19malaysia #LockDownMalaysia pic.twitter.com/91iMhjoTTO
— Sheena (@sheenapunya) March 16, 2020
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) tweeted yesterday that there’s no need for panic buying as it’ll only worsen the current situation.
“Planned buying is much better. People need to sit down with their family members, write down what they actually need and what could be stored in the house,” said Dr Anasuya Jegathevi Jegathesan, a psychology programme director at a private university, told The Star.
TERKINI: 125 lagi kes baru #COVIDー19 dilaporkan di Malaysia, 16 Mac 2020.
95 drpd 125 kes ini berkaitan kes kluster perhimpunan tabligh di Seri Petaling.
Keseluruhan 553 kes setakat ini:
1. 511 sedang dirawat (12 ICU)
2. 42 telah sembuhKenyataan penuh KKM menyusul.
— KKMalaysia🇲🇾🩺❤️ (@KKMPutrajaya) March 16, 2020
As at time of writing, the number of coronavirus cases in Malaysia have increase to 553 (511 are active cases), in addition to 125 new cases today.
