Want to know how well-loved Mustafa Centre is?

It’s so popular, even the lovely otter family paid a visit to the mall, only to find out that it’s closed.

Now, almost a month after its closure, the mall reopened yesterday (6 May 2020), and just when you thought everyone’s avoiding the place like a plague, think again.

Long Queues Formed at Mustafa Centre After Its Reopening

Lest you’ve just woken up from a three-month sleep, here’s a summary of what has happened to the mall:

The mall could’ve been the starting point of the many migrant worker infections, as back in early April, it was identified as a cluster. Back then, no one had known that the mall had caused such a big issue, and it was initially scheduled to reopen on 17 April 2020.

But of course, we soon realised that it had the unfortunate fate of setting off clusters in various dormitories, with it contributing to its own cluster of 124 linked cases as of 3 May, and it was shut down until further notice.

It got the green light to open yesterday (6 May 2020), but it’s no longer the same.

For a start, it won’t be 24 hours; instead, it’ll open from 9:30am to 11:30pm.

Secondly, only the supermarket section will be open, in tandem with the Circuit Breaker measures. In addition, unlike the usual supermarkets whereby even non-essential stuff like clothes are being sold in those hypermarkets, Mustafa Centre is only selling essential items, with those non-essential ones closed off.

And thirdly, it’d follow the guidelines that other supermarkets have implemented: a thermal scan and scanning of QR code via SafeEntry for all visitors. Only 325 people are allowed in the supermarket at any time.

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With us going out only for essential products, and with other supermarkets around the region, you’d think that no one’s going to make their way there.

Well, you think wrong.

On the first day, queues formed like it’s the only supermarket in the entire Singapore.

And on the second day, which is today and a public holiday, queues were still spotted.

But why?

Because the supermarket stocked items that can’t be found in other supermarkets.

The Straits Times interviewed some visitors and it turns out that people had come from all across Singapore just to buy unique items that aren’t available elsewhere, like certain bread or rice.

Which, of course, begs the question: is that really essential?

Would someone die from eating Sunshine bread instead of, erm…Sunset Bread?

But anyways.

Mustafa Centre’s Complicated Story

Love it or hate it, the megamall has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Other than being back in 2010 for selling products in their warehouse, there’s a family dispute in the company two years ago as well, which led to lawsuits between family members.

Also, there were allegations of employment offences by the company, too, whereby S pass employees claimed that they needed to return some of their monthly salaries to the company.

But for the company to have survived all these?

You can bet they’re going to survive this COVID-19, too.

Or so it seems. So far.

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