MALAYSIA has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 recovery in the world due to the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO), said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today.

As of yesterday, 8,728 people have recovered from Covid-19, which translates to 96.3% of the national toll of 9,063 cases, he said.

“You must have remembered that during the early phases of the MCO, I urged Malaysians to stay at home,” said the prime minister said at the launch of a new normal campaign in Pagoh.

“As a result, there was limited movement, businesses were affected, children and students could not go to school or university and had to switch to online learning.

“The enforcement of the MCO was not meant to burden the people from going about their daily lives.

“In fact, it was a much-needed drastic step that had to be taken to break the chain of Covid-19 infections, after taking into account the people’s well-being,” he added.

As a result of the MCO, Malaysia has successfully reduced the growth of new infections and active cases in hospitals, he said.

Cautioning of severe repercussion to the economy if the MCO is re-imposed, he reiterated his call to the public to not be complacent with adhering to standard operating procedures.

“I am sure you do not wish for the government to reimpose the MCO like that in the early stages. This will certainly lead to a lot of problems including a disruption to the economic recovery process.”

The government has allocated RM295 billion through the economic stimulus packages, a portion of which it says has been disbursed to the needy.

“If we have to reimpose the MCO, the economy will face severe impacts felt by the people,” he added.

The MCO was imposed on March 18, and the government later relaxed the conditions and opened up more economic sectors under the conditional movement control order which began on May 4 and ended on June 9.

Malaysia is currently under the recovery movement control order, which will last until August 31. – August 8, 2020.