21 March 2020

F.O.C distribution of face masks: Govt ensures adequate supplies & prices remain reasonable



The distribution of face masks without charges as announced by the government to 8.63 million families is welcome. We believe this measure is taken to ensure sufficient supplies of face masks in the domestic market, maintain prices to be reasonable and to prevent businesses from hoarding based on speculation, and thus, will effectively improve the mask shortage conundrum and achieve the target of reducing Covid-19 cases.

As early as 1 Feb 2020, MCA had called upon the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to emulate Singapore’s one-time free distribution of face masks to all, but PH failed to yield a positive response. Today, the PN government has purchased 10 million masks from China to be handed to branches of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) in all states. This will alleviate the rakyat’s anxiety considering the severity of the pandemic.

However, this is only a short-term solution. In order to protect the interests of the people, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs must take the initiative to ensure that the local supply of face masks is adequate and the price is reasonable. Protecting the interests of consumers will gradually improve the problem of insufficient face mask supplies.

The Domestic Trade Ministry should also make every effort to curb speculation, hoarding, or the sales of low-quality masks and other anti-epidemic products. This is to ensure there are enough masks for frontline personnel and masks will be given to those whose needs are in priority.

With the Covid-19 pandemic which is raging worldwide and the number of confirmed diagnosis and mortalities soaring, demand for face masks and anti-epidemic products correspondingly grows too rendering them more difficult to obtain. The government should take more proactive measures to facilitate the public to obtain epidemic prevention products. For the greater good of society, this will thus ensure effective pandemic prevention.

Dr Tee Ching Seng 
MCA International Communication & Diplomacy Bureau Chairperson

-MCA online-