MP Amrin Amin calls out supermarket shoppers who 'suan' him for asking why they hoard

Following Malaysia's announcement that it was going into lockdown over Covid-19 on Monday (March 16), some members of parliament (MP) paid a visit to several supermarkets in their constituencies to check out the crowds.

While Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin noticed how most shoppers were orderly and refrained from buying more than necessary in Kembangan and Serangoon, Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin encountered a different scenario.

During his visit to an NTUC Fairprice supermarket at Woodlands 888 Plaza on Tuesday morning, he saw a family buying crates of eggs and other daily necessities.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/amrin.page/posts/2575934436027360[/embed]

Amrin approached them to understand why but one of them allegedly snapped at him, saying: "[It's] none of your business".

"Almost right except that it affects us all now," the MP later wrote in a Facebook post. He did not appear to be affected much by the shopper's apparent rudeness, and instead addressed the problem of panic-buying.

"When we rush, we whip up a frenzy, stocks run out, more people panic. So it is our business. It affects all of us as the crazy cycle feeds itself."

Tan shared similar sentiments in his video, saying: "Buy what you need. If everyone behaves excessively then it'll get a bit challenging."

Netizens commended Amrin on the way he handled the situation.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing reassured Singaporeans on Monday that they would not face a food shortage.

Not only does Singapore have months worth of stockpile on a national level, but the country also has local production capabilities for certain foodstuff and diverse sources of supplies. Goods and food supplies from Malaysia will also continue during the lockdown.

In the meantime, NTUC Fairprice has set purchase limits to prevent shoppers from stockpiling: 

• Vegetables: $30 per customer
• Fresh poultry: $30 per customer
• Eggs: Three packs of 10s or One tray of 30s per customer
• Paper products: Four units per customer (toilet paper, facial tissues, kitchen towels)
• Instant noodles/pasta: Two units per customer
• Rice: Two bags per customer

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

rainercheung@asiaone.com