KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) is seeking the government’s understanding to allow service providers, raw materials and packaging suppliers in the rubber glove industry to continue operating amid the COVID-19 movement control order.
Its president Denis Low said without the raw materials, chemicals and packaging materials, freight and logistics services, it would be impossible for gloves to be produced.
“Any halt of the production and administrative segments of our industry would mean an absolute stoppage to glove manufacturing and it will be disastrous to the world.
“Hence, we must continue to produce responsibly and adequately to protect all the healthcare personnel staff, ranging from surgeons, doctors to nurses, paramedics and volunteers too, not to mention the usage by the community at large, to prevent community-acquired infections,” he said in a statement today.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday night declared that Malaysia would be placed under nationwide movement control order from March 18 to 31 to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
The premier said all government and private premises would be closed, except for those providing essential services, namely those involved in water, electricity, energy, telecommunications, postal, transport, irrigation, oil, gas, fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmacy, fire brigade, prison, port, airport, security, defence, cleaning, retail and food supplies.
As Malaysia is the world’s largest manufacturer of rubber medical gloves which supplies almost 65% of the global demand, Low said MARGMA owed the greater humanity of the world a service and shall re-strategise to ensure an adequate supply of the necessity, particularly for those in severely affected areas.
“We expect the world’s demand for natural and synthetic rubber medical gloves to be about 345 billion pieces this year versus 298 billion in 2019, with Malaysia looking to export about 65% or about 225 billion pieces or more, depending on the spread and duration of COVID-19,” he added. – March 17, 2020, Bernama
