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Malaysia announced lockdown measures on March 16.

In a public televised address, Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin stated that mass events will be cancelled, including cultural, social, sports and religious events.

All places of worship and businesses will close, except for markets, supermarkets and shops selling sundry goods.

Muhyiddin also stated that all Malaysians returning to Malaysia will undergo self-quarantine for 14 days.

All tourists and foreign visitors coming into Malaysia are barred from entry.

Malaysians are also barred from travelling abroad.

The impact such a measure will have on Singapore will be considerable.

Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing outlined some contingency measures Singapore will implement as Malaysia enacts tighter travel restrictions.

Food

According to Chan, there are enough stock and Singapore faces no immediate risks of running out of food.

"The Government has been actively working with essential firms such as NTUC Fairprice, Sheng Siong and Dairy Farm International to increase our stock of food and essential supplies over the last two months. This means that we are not facing any immediate risks of running out of food or other supplies brought in by our retailers.

In addition to building up our inventory of food and essential supplies, we also have in place a robust multi-pronged strategy that will ensure we do not run out of the essentials we require.

For example, we have local production capabilities for products such as noodles, infant milk powder and canned goods among others. In the event that we need to increase supply for our domestic consumption, we can ramp up quickly and easily to do so. We have also continued to diversify our sources of essential goods, for example we get a good amount of vegetables from China and even go as far as Ukraine to secure our supply of eggs."

He also urged people not to hoard.

"Although we are not facing any shortages, I urge everyone to continue to purchase in a responsible manner and to purchase only what you need. Otherwise, no amount of stockpiling will be sufficient."

Employees

Chan assured companies that hire Malaysian workers that economic agencies are ready to assist if need be.

"Businesses that employ Malaysian workers who commute between Singapore and Malaysia daily may have to activate their Business Continuity Plans. If they need assistance, they should contact our economic agencies who stand ready to assist."

Chan ended off with a call for "continued trust and support" as the government works with all stakeholders to ensure get through these short-term challenges.

Via Chan Chun Sing/Facebook and Wikipedia.