In times of crisis, don’t listen to the government. The PAP government serves their own political agenda to maintain a facade of stability, and make pretend the situation is under control especially when it is not.
Take independent actions, start thinking for yourself and protect your family. The case of 4 Singaporeans who did not wear face masks in public ended up being infected is a classic example of following the words of the millionaire PAP ministers.
What should Singaporeans do now? Stock up on essential items, stay indoor and avoid touching anything if you are outside. Use a pen tip to press lift buttons, avoid all skin contact including handshakes, avoid standing next to anyone within a 2m radius and exercise at home. These are all basic public health measures taken up by other countries.
There are also some time-critical actions to take and that is to stock up. Reasons being price increase and shortage of supply. By the time you are reading this, the shortage has already begun.
Six months of non-perishable essential items like toilet paper, rice, instant noodles, canned food should be stock up now – and this is only a safe estimate, considering that the 2003 SARS epidemic lasted 8 months.
Shelves at supermarkets and convenience shops are now empty, and daily replenishment is insufficient as stock gets cleared as early by mid-day. Some shops already inflating prices – not because of local profiteering – but because Singapore import all items from foreign countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The situation is likely to worsen when more overseas exporters raise prices to meet China’s demand, or if export countries start banning exports like Taiwan for face masks.
NTUC CEO and PAP MP Seah Kian Peng made a Freudian slip revealing that Singapore is unable to meet demand if the buying trend keeps up:
“There was a surge and some panic buying of food and groceries at its physical and online stores, resulting in some shelves to be empty…We have stocks and they are being replenished from our warehouse but if everyone starts to buy a lot more than what they need, there will never be enough.”
The buying trend cannot be stopped, for whichever reasons. Singaporeans need to be realistic and understand that the queues will still be there regardless disapproval by anyone. Call them whatever derogatory terms in your dictionary like kiasu and kiasee, but these people are taking real tangible actions to protect themselves and their family. Panic-buying is not a crime and it is definitely not wrong. It is basic preparation, and only those who ended up with nothing left can only but kick oneself in the foot.
Hong Kong today is in a similar situation, and they have less confirmed cases than Singapore. Like Singapore, there is replenishment in Hong Kong, but the supply is inadequate to meet daily demand.
Conversely, if you support the PAP so fervently: Go out without a mask, don’t buy anything from the supermarket and attend crowded events. Natural selection dictates that stupid behaviour is rewarded with pain and death after all. But whatever stupid actions you take as per government advice, do not stop others from protecting themselves.
This is not fear-mongering, anyone can feel free to engage what he believe in. Feel free to go write an article telling people not to stock up, at least I won’t be slamming you in the comment section. Oh or you can wait for 4 slices of bread from your nearest PAP grassroots CC and RCs.
Alex Tan
STR Editor