Screengrab from https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-bread-on-cutting-board-7966036/
Malaysian slams Singaporeans who hoard bread and pastries in Johor Bahru, leaving locals empty-handed
JOHOR BAHRU: An irritated Malaysian hollers at Singaporeans who hoard bread in Johor Bahru, leaving locals with nothing for themselves.
In a recent post on Threads featured in an article from The Sun, a Malaysian woman expressed her anger over Singaporeans who flock to Johor Bahru to buy bread and pastries in large quantities, leaving other customers without supplies.
An embarrassing trait
Sharing her experience, she witnessed these Singaporeans loading and hoarding bread on trays, making it difficult for other buyers to purchase any since there was nothing left for them to buy.
“Where is your social consciousness? You are in another country—aren’t you embarrassed?” the Malaysian asked with irritation.
She added that even when workers bring out fresh pastries, the Singaporeans would “swipe them clean immediately.”
“It’s the hoarding behaviour that shows your lack of social consciousness and your insensitivity to others,” she continued.
“Is it really ‘boosting another country’s economy’, or is it just greed and self-entitlement?”
Her posted reaction swiftly went viral, which triggered an animated debate in the comments section of her post. Some agreed with her, while others had a different opinion.
Mixed reactions from other netizens
“It’s not just bread—mineral water is bought at Giant Southern City every weekend, and the parking is always full in the Singapore section. Why is everything so expensive where you are? Even buying water requires travelling overseas,” one commented.
Another Singaporean user also agreed with the Malaysian woman, saying, “Totally (agree) with you. The worst part is when they have family discussions over the difficult decision of what to buy while ignoring the long queue behind them. Why can’t they decide while waiting in line? Unless you’re buying hundreds of items, how much can you save? Bread doesn’t last long, anyway. I’m starting to feel embarrassed holding my SG passport when I’m overseas. Don’t get me wrong, I love my country, and I’m proud to be Singaporean.”
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. One commented, “Sharing is caring. You snooze, you lose. The bakery could’ve just put up a sign limiting the number of breads customers can buy. Since there’s no sign, I don’t see a problem. The bakery benefits as well!”
Will a loaf of bread become a political issue?
The post struck a nerve and triggered a broader conversation about cross-border customer behaviours, cultural understanding, and social accountability. While many empathize with the anger of Malaysian locals seeing their shelves cleared out by enthusiastic Singaporean buyers, others contend that without clear-cut rules, no offence has been committed.
Fundamental to the debate is the bigger question: How do people balance economic opportunity with shared respect? As long as prices and demand keep driving the weekend or holiday rush, it’s time for both shoppers and businesses to ponder more on thoughtful and workable practices before a humble loaf of bread turns into a full-scale political problem.
