KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 ― Consumers of Massimo Bread here may have to look for alternatives in the next few days as its manufacturer, The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd (TIB), has announced a temporary disruption to production at its factory in Klang, Selangor due to high Covid-19 cases in the district.

TIB said it is taking precautions to prevent the coronavirus from spreading in Klang.

"Due to heightened cases of Covid-19 cases in Klang district, The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd (TIB) wishes to inform that there has been some temporary disruption to our operations in our effort to implement additional precautionary and preventive measures in accordance with the procedures of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) to mitigate the risk of infection in our plant,” it said in a Facebook posting yesterday.

It acknowledged that the disruption to its bread supply chain will affect some of its business partners and inconvenience consumers, but said "this is necessary in our effort to prevent and mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection”.

TIB made no mention of whether its Klang factory is closed or if operations will continue with manpower reduced, or even how long the disruption will last.

The bread maker said it was taking action in compliance with the standard operating procedures set by the Health Ministry, International Trade and Industry Ministry, the National Security Council and the Department of Safety and Health as well as local authorities.

TIB is a wholly-owned subsidiary of public-listed FFM Berhad, which is in turn majority-owned by PPB Group Berhad, Malaysia’s largest flour miller and usually makes 16,000 loaves of bread and 24,000 buns a day.

TIB’s statement came after Malaysia hit 5,725 Covid-19 cases yesterday ― its highest caseload to date. Selangor alone contributed 3,126 cases to the national total.

All of Malaysia, barring Sarawak, is currently under a movement control order that is supposed to end on February 4.