Spotted in Jurong West: Man selling face masks from car boot at S$1 each

Singapore – There have been complaints about retailers, online shops and even individuals selling face masks at inflated prices. This has been happening despite warnings from the authorities against the practice.

Now one man has even been seen selling them in broad daylight from the boot of a car.

On Sunday (Feb 9), Facebook user Alexie Tan came across a man outside the Block 505 Market and Food Centre in Jurong West Street 52. He had boxes of face masks in the boot of a car and was reselling them at a higher price.

“This kind of people who hoard mask is already bad enough,” said Ms Tan. “And still sell at S$1 per piece, S$40 per box illegally. Please reflect on yourself.” She added photos of a man standing by the boot of a vehicle containing boxes of masks.

“Please be more considerate and give those people who really need it a chance to purchase a mask. For instance, people working in the frontline,” she said.

It is unclear from where the man got his supplies. One netizen commented that, to sell them at S$1 each, was “selfish and unfair”.

Each mask is estimated to have cost around 20 Singapore cents before the rush for boxes of them following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China, and as it spread further afield.

According to gov.sg: “We have sufficient supply of surgical masks available in Singapore, so long as people use them responsibly when they need to. Wear a mask only if you are sick. If you are not ill, there is no need to wear a mask.”

Meanwhile, the Government has extended the distribution of face masks at various Community Clubs (CCs) and Residents’ Committee (RC) centres. Those who have not claimed their set of four masks per household can do so until Feb 29. /TISG

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