KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) — Former national badminton ace Datuk Lee Chong Wei has advised Malaysians to obey the Movement Control Order (MCO) by staying at home to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The former world No 1 also urged people to avoid travelling back to their kampung as it could threaten the lives of their loved ones there and to avoid hoarding food.
“My friends, I hope all of you do not panic during this crisis and I appeal to all of you to stay at home, don’t go out for the time being. Trust me, this nightmare will end. That day will come earlier (if) we Malaysians, irrespective of race and religion, can cooperate, compromise and help each other.
“My utmost respect to all the frontliners, the doctors, nurses, hospital staff and also supermarket cashiers who continue to work as usual! The best way we can repay them for their contribution is to #STAYHOME,” he said in a posting on his Facebook page.
The MCO, effective from yesterday until March 31, was announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19.
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ORDER-CHONG WEI (ADVICE) 2 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
The three-time Olympic silver medallist also shared a funny panic-buying situation he faced on Monday when his wife, former national shuttler Wong Mew Choo, asked him to get some groceries.
He said among the things that Mew Choo had asked him to buy for the family were five chickens, a bag of rice, vegetables, five packets of instant noodles, two dozen eggs, fruits and a packet of toilet rolls.
He said that when he reached a supermarket near his place, he saw people dashing to buy essential items, as if they were competing in a trolley marathon and reckoned that the speed at which they were going about could put national sprinter Khairul Hafiq Jantan to shame.
“Luckily I managed to get everything on my wife’s shopping list, except for the toilet paper… I was shocked to see a guy in front of me with 10 packets of toilet rolls!… (I remember once there was a pandemic and even the tap water was unclean. That’s why the toilet roll is important.)
“Then I heard someone calling my name from behind, ‘Lee, here take this. Everyone was rushing for the toilet rolls just now and I accidentally took two packets. I don’t know why as I don’t even use them! He was Nazir, a friend who lives nearby.
“We laughed and caught up for a while. Then, as I noticed more ‘trolley gangsters’ ambushing the store, I rushed home as I know this virus could spread easily,” he said.
— BERNAMA