In what has become the 'new normal' for everyone around the world, hand sanitisers and face masks are now essential items one must have with them at all times.

Yet, there are a lot of Malaysians who still do not believe in using those items.

Middle of the pack

According to a survey conducted recently by global public opinion and data company YouGov and Imperial College London, Malaysians occupied the third last spot when it comes to using hand sanitiser, AsiaOne reported.

When quizzed for the poll, only 77 per cent of Malaysians answered "always" or "frequently" to using hand sanitiser in the past seven days.

The number bested just Singapore (68 per cent) and Indonesia (66 per cent), the lowest percentage among the six ASEAN countries.

Thailand (89 per cent) topped the list, followed by Vietnam (86 per cent) and the Philippines (86 per cent).

Face mask game also needs to be stepped up.

When it comes to wearing face masks, Malaysia came in third last as well, with only 89 per cent of Malaysians answering yes to wearing a face mask in a span of seven days.

Singaporeans are the most least likely to wear a face mask (66 per cent), while Indonesians came in second last (87 per cent).

The Thais came up on top again (95 per cent), with Vietnam (94 per cent) and the Philippines (93 per cent) rounding up the top three.

We guess Thailand citizens are not taking the pandemic lightly, and that's actually a very good thing.

To be fair, the survey -- participated by 12,999 adults aged 18 and over in the six ASEAN countries -- was reportedly conducted between 30 March and 27 April, when the first phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) was in full effect and Malaysians were not allowed to go out.

We are pretty sure that Malaysians are being extra cautious now when we go out.

But just in case, always make it a habit to wash your hands frequently and sanitise them as frequently as well, yeah?

Survey: Malaysians Third Least Likely To Use Hand Sanitiser Among ASEAN Peers

Middle of the pack