GEORGE TOWN: Two in every 10 people were spotted without a face mask at a mall here.
This was based on an observation done by The Star for over two hours from noon to 2pm yesterday.
A total of 859 people rode a specific escalator at the mall’s ground floor over the two-hour period and of that number, 692 were seen wearing face masks while another 167 did not.
This is equivalent to 80% of people wearing face masks in public.
University student Nurashikin Aizudin, 21, and her sister Nuraslaini, 19, were among the 20% of shoppers who were not wearing face masks at the time of the observation.
When asked why, Nurashikin said she usually had a mask whenever she went out but this time, she had run out of masks.
“I usually have a spare face mask with me wherever I go but when I reached here, I realised that there were no more masks in my car,” she added.
Nuraslaini gave a similar reason and indicated that they were going to buy new face masks at the mall.
Asked whether they would agree to the proposal that the government make it mandatory for face masks to be worn, both women nodded, saying it was for the better protection of every Malaysian.
Another visitor at the mall, who only wanted to be known as Raja, in his 30s, said the reason he did not wear a mask was because it was not an offence not to wear one.
“If the government wants to enforce the ruling, it must make sure that people do not take advantage of it.
“If the government wants to ensure that people wear a face mask, go ahead, but just make sure traders do not exploit and increase the price of face masks as they like,” he said.
On Monday, during a special address to the nation, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stated that the government was considering making it compulsory for people to use a face mask in public places.
This was based on an observation done by The Star for over two hours from noon to 2pm yesterday.
A total of 859 people rode a specific escalator at the mall’s ground floor over the two-hour period and of that number, 692 were seen wearing face masks while another 167 did not.
This is equivalent to 80% of people wearing face masks in public.
University student Nurashikin Aizudin, 21, and her sister Nuraslaini, 19, were among the 20% of shoppers who were not wearing face masks at the time of the observation.
When asked why, Nurashikin said she usually had a mask whenever she went out but this time, she had run out of masks.
“I usually have a spare face mask with me wherever I go but when I reached here, I realised that there were no more masks in my car,” she added.
Nuraslaini gave a similar reason and indicated that they were going to buy new face masks at the mall.
Asked whether they would agree to the proposal that the government make it mandatory for face masks to be worn, both women nodded, saying it was for the better protection of every Malaysian.
Another visitor at the mall, who only wanted to be known as Raja, in his 30s, said the reason he did not wear a mask was because it was not an offence not to wear one.
“If the government wants to enforce the ruling, it must make sure that people do not take advantage of it.
“If the government wants to ensure that people wear a face mask, go ahead, but just make sure traders do not exploit and increase the price of face masks as they like,” he said.
On Monday, during a special address to the nation, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stated that the government was considering making it compulsory for people to use a face mask in public places.
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