Review SOP on economic sectors as country moves to COVID-19 endemic phase - Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 --  National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has asked the ministers concerned to review the relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure a smooth reopening of economic sectors as the country moves towards the endemic phase of COVID-19.

The former prime minister said he conveyed this to the ministers involved several days ago.

He said this was because Malaysia needs to streamline the SOPs, just like how it now allows travel to Langkawi without a police permit if it is undertaken by air but a police permit is compulsory if travel is by land.

"We have to view everything from the same perspective because our aim is to see that it does not take too long for the recovery process to be achieved,” he said when interviewed on Astro Awani’s Program Agenda Awani tonight.

Apart from this, Muhyiddin said the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) should take into consideration the forms of support from the aspects of the government and private sector so that the economic and social sectors can continue to be opened.

"In Budget 2022 to be tabled by Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, considerations should be given to both fiscal and non-fiscal (measures) … finance for all sectors so that this can rejuvenate the economic and social sectors without taking too long to achieve the objectives,” he added.

In this context, he hoped that the government led by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob can continue with the agenda for the country to recover from COVID-19 which was implemented by him earlier.

“This has to be given attention by the government and on my part, I will help to implement … as long as there are no prolonged political disruptions,” he said, adding that the Memorandum of Understanding on Transformation and Political Stability signed by the government and Pakatan Harapan recently could ease political tensions and enable the country to focus on national recovery efforts.

-- BERNAMA