MALAYSIA has avoided a catastrophe by implementing a full lockdown from June 1, said Muhyiddin Yassin.

“The decision to have a total lockdown has been successful where we have avoided an exponential surge in new cases.

“Had we not done this, the number of new infections would have gone to 13,000 and our whole healthcare system would have been affected,” said the prime minister (PM) in a special address today.

Muhyiddin had announced the National Recovery Plan after meeting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today.

He said the decision to implement a total lockdown has flattened the number of new Covid-19 infections where Malaysia recorded 4,949 new cases yesterday compared to 9,020 cases on May 29.

Malaysia recorded 5,419 new cases in the last 24 hours.

“Our healthcare system can still support the number of new cases as we are also recording higher recoveries.

“This shows that the government’s move has bore fruit. We have avoided a catastrophe,” said the Bersatu president.

Earlier, he announced a four-stage National Recovery Plan and promised to reopen Parliament in Phase 3, which is estimated to be in September or October.

Muhyiddin met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong earlier today, after the King had met Ariffin Zakaria, who heads the special independent emergency committee.

The committee will advise the King on when to end the state of emergency.

Parliament has not held any meetings since last year following the government’s decision to declare a state of emergency on January 11 when the average number of new infections were around 2,000. – June 15, 2021.