Margma: No shortage of gloves, distributors urged to refrain from profiteering

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AFP file photo for illustration purposes.

KUCHING: The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (Margma) has assured that there is no shortage of gloves in the local market.

A press statement issued by Margma today, however, warned local distributors to refrain from profiteering and not to give out false information about inadequate supply from the manufacturers so as to inflate the prices.

“The industry is capable of producing 230 billion pieces this year and there should not be any rumours or false information about inadequate supply of the medical and surgical gloves in the local market.

“Especially when the local consumption is only 0.05 per cent of the total produced by the industry,” said Margma.

According to Margma, all the private hospitals have not raised any concern about shortages.

As such, it believed that pharmacists “are a disciplined lot and would not simply profiteer”.

“And if the government hospitals do not have enough stock, Margma is ready to assist immediately upon request. In fact, Margma members have distributed millions of gloves freely to the hospitals, police, Bomba and the emergency services group, within their vicinity.

“This is our industry’s continuous contribution and appreciation to our frontliners,” said the statement.

It added that Margma members had come together to pledge 19 million pieces of medical gloves to the government on March 23, with many of them already putting into action and delivering to the hospitals, police and frontliners.

Margma appealed to all to heed the government’s call not to profiteer and not to hoard.

“Rest assured that Malaysia can never be out of stock as far as production is concerned. We call on profiteers not to spread rumours about any shortage to inflate prices.

“Malaysia only requires about 120 million pieces per year. It will merely take the industry six hours of production time to churn out this annual quantity,” it stressed.

Margma said it is ready and on stand-by to answer to any call and request for gloves at factory prices to cut off the profiteers.

On top of that, Margma is exhorting its members to ramp up further capacity to ensure that the rest of the world will also not be short of stock, while prioritising the Malaysian glove needs.