THOSE caught stealing food at Mydin retail outlets cried when caught and admitted to stealing out of desperation in the lockdown to curb Covid-19, Ameer Ali Mydin said. 

Shoplifting has seen a rise in the Mydin chain of hypermarkets and stores across the country these past few months, although Malaysia has imposed a series of lockdowns since March last year.

“This is not the act of a thief but of people who badly need to survive. They cried when they were caught. A real thief won’t cry because stealing is what they do,” the retail giant’s founder told The Malaysian Insight.

Ameer said he has never seen people in such need in his time running his business empire until the current movement-control order (MCO) that began in May. 

“This is something that has never happened before. Before this, those who steal are just thieves but now people are stealing because they have nothing to eat for dinner.

“If you are just a thief, you come and take away expensive stuff but these days, people take a packet of dried fish, two cans of condensed milk, a packet of instant noodles or a can of sardines,” he said.

Malaysia was placed under its third MCO from May 12 that was later enhanced on June 1 with Selangor and parts of Kuala Lumpur also under the enhanced MCO (EMCO) from July 1 to 16.

“How much longer can the people survive the lockdown without earning any income to feed their families?” he asked, urging Putrajaya to ease the blanket lockdown by only targeting areas that are badly affected by the pandemic.

He first revealed the shoplifting in a virtual press conference organised by Industries Unite last week, saying that the stolen items were not of high-value but were of food products.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight, he said that while shoplifting has increased at his outlets, he did not keep figures on the amounts lost.

His staff have also been releasing the shoplifters and allowing them to take the food items with them.

“Quantitatively, I do not have the numbers (of our losses) as we let them go.

“I think the government is trying to do its best but in my opinion, they cannot lock down the whole state to control virus transmissions.

“People are losing their minds. People need to work in order to survive. Targeted lockdowns are the best solution,” he said.

Putrajaya has introduced its National Recovery Plan to exit the lockdown in four phases of progressively looser movement restrictions.

The first phase has restrictions similar to the MCO and progression to Phase Two will depend on when several indicators are met. These are daily virus cases dropping to below 4,000, full vaccination for 10% of the population, and intensive care unit bed usage at “moderate” level.

The first five states to fulfil these indicators and move to the second phase last week were Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Perlis. Penang moved into Phase Two on July 7 while Sabah made the transition four days later.

Under the recovery plan, most economic activities except high-risk sectors will only be allowed to re-open in Phase Three, after daily Covid-19 cases fall below 2,000.

But Ameer said at the rate things are going, reaching the third phase will be very difficult. Daily cases have exceeded 5,000 since late last month and were more than 9,000 in the last few days, while active cases are more than 85,000, leaving hospitals overflowing their capacity.

As such, Ameer said lockdowns should only be applied selectively, such as on a particular factory or apartment building, rather than the whole of Selangor.

Malaysia Muslim Consumers Association lead activist Nadzim Johan told The Malaysian Insight with the MCO extended for an indefinite period, other than the states that have moved into Phase Two, the government has to take the people’s welfare seriously.

Putrajaya must heed the spike in the suicide rate and stop more of such incidents from happening.

“It is a manifestation of a failure that must be addressed. People have to steal because they have nothing to eat. They have no money and reach the point where they take their own life.

“There are also more divorces while school children are also under pressure studying from home. Things are not going well and if not addressed, will create a dangerous cycle,” Nadzim added.

Police recently announced the increase in suicides during last year, a pandemic year, and the first few months of this year.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Abd Jalil Hassan said there were 631 suicides in 2020 and 468 from January to May this year, compared with 609 in 2019.

The total of 1,708 suicide cases since 2019 to date works out to an average of two deaths daily, he said.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has also said that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on mental health and that the number of suicides was worrying.

The overall sense of desperation has been highlighted on social media, with users promoting the white flag movement, urging those in need of help to raise a white flag outside their homes, and for others to provide assistance when they see these flags.

Mobile apps and websites to connect those needing aid with donors, such as kitajaga.co and Sambal SOS, have been developed following the white flag movement, as Malaysians urged each other to take things into their own hands amid deepening anger at the government. – July 14, 2021.