Amid worsening Coronavirus situation in the country, Malaysian government announced that they will shut the borders to travellers, restrict internal movement, close schools and universities, coomon to many countries but the news created a panic among the Singaporeans who are currently concerned about the food availability.
In a recently shared video, it was clear that the Republic residents panicked after they received the news and the supermarkets are flooded with long queues.
The flow of food between Malaysia and Singapore
The Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has assured that the flow of food and other goods from Malaysia to Singapore will go on as usual so Singaporeans don't have to worry about the shortage even though Malaysia announced a border closure to fight against the COVID-19.
In a Facebook post, PM Lee stated that "Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and I discussed the situation on the phone today. I told him that I understood the reasons why he had made this move, and wished Malaysia success in containing the outbreak. I was happy to hear his reassurance that the flow of goods and cargo between Singapore and Malaysia, including food supplies, would continue."
In addition, he wrote, "Meanwhile, I am happy to see that in the supermarkets, while the queues are longer than usual, people are taking it on their stride and only buying what they need. We need not worry, as we have prepared for such an eventuality, and have plans in place to cope."
Situation in Singapore
it should be mentioned that Malaysia is a major source of staples for Singapore, which imports more than 90 percent of its food. Singaporeans had rushed to stock up on food over fears of a disruption in supplies as soon as Malaysia released the news of locking down the borders, becoming the first South-East Asian country to shut the borders.
A video taken after Malaysia announced to lock the borders showed how people turned to supermarkets in Singapore fearing that there will be a shortage of food. The video showed several Singaporeans inside a supermarket, buying tissue papers, food items and other required goods for the emergency.
