The current pandemic has definitely pushed most Malaysians to the brink, financially, mentally and emotionally. With the emergence of hashtags such as #KitaJagaKita and #BenderaPutih, it could be clearly seen that the situation is worsening especially for those who’ve lost their jobs and have experienced pay cuts.
Recently, the Managing Director of Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad (Mydin), Ameer Ali Mydin recently revealed that due to the number of people being affected by Covid-19, many people have been involved in the case of stealing food ingredients such as fish and vegetables. In the past, visitors to the hypermarket were caught stealing valuables such as televisions and speakers. However, the situation has changed now.
According to him, it’s a very sad scene to witness especially, when the sales of instant noodles soared during the pandemic. He said, “Noodle sales (immediately) jumped very high. Do you think people are lazy to cook? No! It happens because people can’t afford anything else. Noodles are the cheapest (option) to fill one’s stomach. Do we want our people to fill their stomachs like this? It’s sad.”
He revealed this information at a press conference organised by Industries Unite (IU), a combination of 115 associations, institutions and trade bodies of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.
Not only that, the co-founder of IU, David Gurupatham, insisted that the government now needs a strategy and narrative rather than an endless lockdown and blaming the factories for the spread of Covid-19.
He also said that the government’s narrative should now revolve around ensuring that the people do not suffer from the loss of income over a long period of time due to the closure of the sector, and that can be seen from the recent white flag movement. “The National Security Council (MKN) may be able to save us from the virus (with movement restrictions), but what is the point if people are going to starve to death?” he stated.
This is indeed a concerning situation amongst fellow Malaysians. For now, let’s look after each other and help those in need.
Source: Malaysiakini
