KUANTAN: The Pahang Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry has urged netizens not to blindly share images of empty supermarket shelves on social media, as this could lead to unnecessary panic-buying.
Contrary to viralled images, the ministry has assured consumers that shelves at Pahang stores are well-stocked with basic necessities, as supplies are delivered as per usual despite the ongoing Movement Control Order (MCO).
The ministry's enforcement chief Ahmad Fitri Ali said members of the public should refrain from taking pictures and videos of empty shelves and sharing them on social media, claiming that a premises has run out of supplies.
"Please verify with workers at respective supermarkets, as they would usually take a little time (on the same day) to restock depleted essential goods. Sharing the unverified information in a neighbourhood WhatsApp chat group would cause the public to immediately target other premises for similar items, resulting in panic buying.
"People would assume that the item they need is running low, but the truth is that the workers at the premises have yet to restock the shelves. There is no need for panic-buying because there are enough essential items in supermarkets throughout the state," he said today.
Fitri said checks carried out at business premises by the ministry's enforcement team in Pahang showed that there is adequate supply of basic necessities.
"Deliveries to supermarkets and other outlets are being carried out as usual by suppliers and there are also no orders for additional supplies. So the people do not need to buy more than the usual amount of groceries when they go to the stores.
"Some premises in Pahang have set a purchase limit for customers buying essential goods so that everyone will have an opportunity to buy the items. They do not encourage a single customer to buy in bulk," he added.
Meanwhile, Fitri said face masks have been restocked in Pahang, but the supplies are still low.
"Last month, there was a dire shortage of face masks, but now, some premises have started selling the protection gear. Some pharmacies are only selling face masks in small quantities (one or two pieces) and not large quantities to ensure everyone can purchase it," he said.