The line to get inside the supermarket extended outside the mall, with workers ensuring social distancing was maintained.

Mages, a worker at Vel Restaurant nearby, was spotted outside with a trolley filled with rice bags, water, soft drinks and other supplies for the restaurant where she worked.

“I was in line for 40 minutes before I could get inside,” she told FMT, saying she was worried shortages may affect provisions’ supply for the restaurant, as people buy in bulk to prepare for the lockdown.

“Hopefully, this time, it won’t be as bad as during the first movement control order (MCO) in March last year,” she said, referring to the bare shelves many shoppers faced during that time.

The manager of NSK Bandar Mahkhota, who gave her name as Madam Foo, assured people there was no reason to indulge in panic buying this time around as the store was more prepared than last year.

“I’d told people, even during the last MCO, that there’s no need to buy more than necessary. We are open every day.

“But the crowd today is more than normal.

“People are buying rice, oil, bread, fish, vegetables … everything. These people really don’t need to worry. We will have sufficient supplies this time. We are more prepared.”

Foo said she had deployed her workers to ensure people were observing all SOPs.

“People should know better by now. During the first MCO, people were caught unawares by the lockdown. Now, I don’t think people need to worry so much.”

A look at other supermarkets did not show these queues were the norm.

A representative at NSK Kota Damansara, who wanted to be known as Lim, said the store actually had fewer customers than normal, surmising that many would have learned not to panic after the first MCO.

“I see no panic buying. If you check out the people coming out of the shop, they haven’t bought that much,” he said.

Supermarket employee Nurul Fariza Zakaria, in Section 6, Kota Damansara, said things appeared to be far more under control compared to last year.

“During the last total lockdown, shoppers bought goods in large quantities. This made it difficult for other customers to get the same basic necessities. That has not happened so far.”

A customer, Mohd Fadli Rahmat, admitted that he was planning to buy two weeks’ worth of supplies to ensure his family didn’t have to go out during the first two weeks of the lockdown.

“From June 1, our family will be sitting at home and the items bought today will be enough for two weeks.”

As for Nadiah Abdul Razak, her cart was filled with items she normally bought. She doesn’t expect any shortages this time around.

“People might have panicked before. They were not sure if there would be enough supplies for all.”

She said there was no reason to be greedy because if people bought too much, a lot of the food would expire and become wasted.

Meanwhile, in a statement today, the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry (KPDNHEP) urged shoppers not to buy in bulk.

It gave an assurance that they were working to ensure the availability of basic supplies in all states.

“The ministry is confident the supply of necessities nationwide will remain stable during this lockdown phase,” domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said.