Malaysian glove makers hit by government Covid restrictions

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – Malaysian gloves manufacturers have called on the government to allow factories to continue to operate in the state of Selangor amid a two-week Covid-related movement control order which came into effect 3 July.

In a 4 July response to the restrictions, the Malaysian Rubber Gloves Manufacturers Association (MARGMA) called for an urgent meeting with government officials to resolve the issue which affects 58% of all gloves produced in Malaysia.

“Our members have been supportive of the government’s effort to fight the spread of Covid-19 pandemic and have been coping with the 60% ordinance,” said Margma president Dr Supramaniam Shanmugam.

The limited workforce, Shanmugam said, has stretched lead times on delivery slightly longer but the workload is “still manageable.” 

The new movement control order, however, will “further hamper the supply situation,” he warned.

“There is a big fear going around the global healthcare sectors when our minister announced the possibility of a shut-down of the glove industry,”  said Shanmugam, noting high demand for both medical gloves and surgical gloves. 

“We are urgently appealing to the government to allow these glove factories to continue to operate while adhering to strict standard operating procedures,” he added.

According to the association, Margma members collectively produce 67% of the total global supply of rubber gloves and export to 195 countries.

Margma expects demand for gloves in 2021 to remain at 420 billion pieces, up from 360 billion pieces in 2020. The association anticipates demand growth to be at 15-20% growth for next year.