The Malaysian rubber glove industry will continue to produce medical and surgical gloves, essential and critical items in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, in spite of the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed in the country that will last till March 31. The Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) members are agreeable that certain essential services and industry be allowed to operate at this time and committed to combat the pandemic.
According to MARGMA President Denis Low, it is “the manufacturers’ duty” to further step up productivity “to cater to the enormous requirements for protective medical gloves.”
Low expects the world’s demand for natural and synthetic rubber medical gloves to be about 345 billion pieces this year (from only 298 billion in 2019). Although challenge exists with the new restriction order, he claims that “Malaysia is looking to export about 65% or about 225 billion pieces of medical gloves, or more, depending on the spread and duration of the COVID-19 outbreak.”