Reveal face masks stock and production amount, says MCA

CORONAVIRUS | MCA urged the government to reveal the local face masks inventory and daily production amount in order to ease the tension among the public due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The opposition party also suggested that the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to create a mobile phone application and centralise the management of face masks supply and retail, in dealing with the dwindling stock.

MCA Government Monitoring Committee member Tee Ching Seng (photo) said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had promised to increase face masks production before Chinese New Year.

"However, people still find it hard to get a mask after the festival", said Tee during a press conference with MCA deputy president Mah Hang Soon at the party's headquarters this morning in Jalan Ampang.

Tee, who is also MCA international communication and diplomacy bureau chief said, the government is responsible to inform the public on statistics of face masks inventory, supply and daily output.

“We have waited for three weeks yet the government is still doing nothing. Since the government failed to do so, we will prove to them how to do it,” said Tee.

For the record, since the coronavirus outbreak in Malaysia on January 22, the ministry has instructed local manufacturers to increase production of face masks beginning Jan 31. 

Tee suggested that the ministry appoint local drugstores as the authorised face masks retailers and making sure that every drugstore has a certain amount of supply, in addition to regulating the price.

He also said the government should impose a real-name system to buy face masks for a limited amount like what the Taiwan government has done.

Thus, the government can control and supervise the supply chain of face masks in the market through the mobile phone application, he said.

“This can prevent the public overly buying face masks and eliminate the unethical price hike by the retailers.

“The government can immediately grasp the sales and stock of face masks too,” he added.

Tee, however, did not elaborate on the set up of the mobile phone application.

Meanwhile, Mah said he received a lot of complaints from friends and medical industry players on the dwindling stock of face masks.

He said one of his friends from Ipoh wants Saifuddin to step down as minister if he is not able to solve the problem.

“I agree with that. He (Saifuddin) should resign if he cannot handle this,” said Mah (below).

Nevertheless, Mah said MCA acknowledged the efforts by the government in handling the coronavirus outbreak but it is not enough.

“Please be more proactive. The questions we asked before the Chinese New Year are still not answered,” he said.

“We are not here to cause panic and we like to urge the people not to panic at this period. We just want to create awareness among the public.

“At the same time the government please let the public be well-informed (regarding the face masks supply),” urged Mah.

Mah and Tee were distributing the face masks to the public with the crisis relief squad of MCA after the press conference.

MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng, Youth Chief Nicole Wong and Tanjung Piai MP Wee Jeck Seng were also present. - Mkini