Laptops priced below RM2,000 sold out in Ipoh

 

Parents are finding it difficult to find laptops for their children to follow online lessons. (Bernama pic)

IPOH: Laptops, especially those priced at RM2,000 and below, have been sold out due to the high demand from parents in Ipoh following the implementation of home-based teaching and learning (PdPR).

A Bernama check at a shopping complex here, known as a place where locals usually go to purchase electronic gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, notebooks, desktops and accessories, found that traders had been experiencing a shortage of laptops.

According to one of the traders, Chai Wai Kean, 25, his premises ran out of affordable laptops after 100 units were sold after the implementation of PdPR due to the movement control order (MCO) in January.

“Many parents came here to find laptops for their children for online school sessions. Currently, there is no more stock available at this store because the only ones left are those priced at RM3,000 and above.

“However, we still have a desktop computer set priced at around RM1,500 but most parents prefer laptops for their children to share,” he said when met by Bernama at the Yik Foong Complex.

Chai said prior to this, he would restock 10 to 20 affordable laptops twice a month, but now that was difficult because supplies and shipments from abroad have been affected due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, an employee of another shop in the same complex, who only wanted to be known as Chong, 37, said many parents did not want to buy desktop computers despite the cheaper price. He said they preferred a laptop as it was equipped with a camera for PdPR purposes.

He said he expected the price of laptops to increase due to the high demand and difficulty in obtaining supplies at this time. New stocks are only expected to arrive after the Chinese New Year.

A buyer from Tambun, Abu Muizzuddin, said he came to the complex to find a laptop for his children following the implementation of PdPR but could not buy one as it was out of stock.

He said his four schoolgoing children, who are in primary and secondary schools, including a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination candidate, had to share an old laptop he bought a few years ago.

“Apart from the children, my wife, who is a teacher, also has to share the same laptop for PdPR purposes.

“I have been looking everywhere in this complex … there is only one unit left but it is too expensive.” - FMT