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SINGAPORE – The recent rush to buy basic necessities after Singapore raised its Covid-19 alert level reflected anxiety and was an irrational response that showed the worst of Singaporeans, said Professor Yaacob Ibrahim (Jalan Besar GRC).
“Chaos could have broken out, leading to unimaginable losses. This is something we all don’t want to happen in Singapore,” he said during the debate on the Budget statement in Parliament on Wednesday (Feb 26).
Prof Yaacob was one of several MPs who commented on the panic buying behaviour on the Feb 7 to Feb 9 weekend, after Singapore’s Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) was raised from yellow to orange.
He said the rush to stock up food and sundry items shows the importance of getting communications right in a crisis.
Noting that there was no social media during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, Prof Yaacob said Singaporeans today are inundated with all manner of news from various sources.
“The fundamental question is whether we trust the Government in telling us what is the right thing to do especially during a crisis,” he said.
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