KUALA LUMPUR: Thousands of Apple fans have swamped MyTown Shopping Centre in Cheras for the Switch outlet’s Apple warehouse sale, forcing the overwhelmed mall to call off the event for security reasons.
MyTown is currently attempting to manage the worrying situation created by the massive mob eager to get their hands on smartphones and computers at rock-bottom prices.
It is understood that some of the Apple fans have been standing in queue since yesterday.
In a just-posted Facebook message, Switch Malaysia said: "Due to security concerns, we regret to inform that the Switch and MyTown Management have decided to cease operations, and the Switch Outlet will be closed for today.
"Your safety is our priority. Please stay safe and exit in an orderly fashion,” it said.
Just 20 minutes after the mall opened at 10am, the authorised Apple premium reseller had to plead with customers on their way to the outlet to cancel their visit, as the queue to the store had already reached the outside of the shopping centre.
Switch notified customers that due to the overwhelming turnout, the store may not be able to cater to everyone’s needs.
The warehouse sale started today, and was supposed to run until Sunday, March 4.
To further dissuade customers from heading to the store, Switch provided a live update on items that had been sold out, which included the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, the iPod and the iPhone models.
Thomas Too, 26, who had been waiting outside since early this morning, was among the first lucky customers to get his hands on Apple products at great deals.
Mohd Arif Abu Bakar, meanwhile, claimed that he paid someone to reserve his spot in the queue overnight, and was lucky enough to lay his hands on one discounted iPhone.
“I’m going home now to sleep,” said the college student.
However, many more were left disappointed.
One of them, Muhammad Danial, vented on Facebook.
"Your management (is) super terrible. You asked people to make a long queue that frequently changed, buyers simply cut the queue, then u expect people (to) behave? No way!!!,” he wrote.
The high turnout is understandable, as Switch was offering iPhones for as low as RM200. Some of the discounted smartphones, however, had either been opened or were demo sets without warranties.
New units are were also available, including the iPhone 6 for RM1,399, the iPhone X 64GB for RM4,899, and the iPhone X 256GB for RM 5,649.