THE number of people who have registered for Covid-19 vaccination through the MySejahtera application is still low compared with the total number of Malaysians and non-citizens eligible to be vaccinated, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said that as of yesterday, only 7.6 million of the targeted 26.7 million people have signed up through the MySejahtera application.

“I consider this figure as still small. For sure, this (getting the numbers) is important to reach our desired level to more successfully contain Covid-19 transmissions and at the same time to revitalise or restore the country’s economy more rapidly.

“There is a correlation between rolling off the vaccine plan and the recovery of our nation’s economy,” he said when officiating the blood donation drive programme in Kuala Lumpur today.

He said the pandemic has been plaguing the country and the world, and the problem has yet to be resolved with the emergence of new variants in the community.

“From what we see, almost all sectors of the economy have resumed operations and businesses have reopened. And I think the situation is getting better and better.

“This is what we are hoping to see in the next few months. Within this year the forecast of improvement in our economy will be seen in the second or third (quarter of the year). Our GDP growth is projected at 6 to 7.5%,” he said.

As such, Muhyiddin urged the relevant parties to reach out to those who have not yet registered for the vaccination by providing further information to help them register through the MySejahtera application.

He also advised the people to continue adhering to the standard operating procedure that have been set to curb the spread of the virus.

Meanwhile, the prime minister called on all Malaysians, especially those who have not donated blood before, to take the first step in becoming a regular blood donor as part of a healthy lifestyle.

He said the blood supply at the National Blood Centre and blood banks nationwide had been running low, while the demand for blood continued to rise.

“Everyday the country needs at least 2,000 bags of blood to cater to about 1,000 patients. In the Klang Valley alone, the centre needs 500 to 600 bags of blood a day.

“Therefore, I call on all community groups to come forward to donate blood to help save the lives of patients and further improve the health of the local community,” he said.

Muhyiddin also thanked the civil societies and charitable bodies that have been organising blood donation programmes across the country.

The two-day annual blood donation drive, organised by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Charity Golf Foundation in collaboration with the centre and IGB Real Estate Investment Trust, kicked off today at Mid Valley Megamall. – Bernama, April 3, 2021.