COVID-19: B40 HOUSEHOLD’S FINANCIAL AND CONSUMPTION DURING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER (MCO)

Abstract

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused the Malaysian Government to take steps to implement the Movement Control Order (MCO). According to Bank Negara Malaysia, the implementation of MCO will have an impact on national incomes, with Malaysia’s estimated economic growth in 2020. The effect of MCO not only affects the macro level, but also at the micro level, particularly those groups of households with the lowest income of 40%. (B40). The B40 income group is a group of households that are expected to face high economic risk and directly affect their patterns of consumption during the implementation of the MCO. This study contributes to the empiric study related to COVID-19 and the implementation of MCO in the B40 group. This study analysed the pattern of financial and consumption of B40 households in Malaysia during the implementation of MCO. The findings show that the financial situation of the B40 household has changed the patterns of daily consumption following the implementation of the MCO.