KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced various initiatives in the first 100 days after he took office as the eighth Prime Minister on March 1.
These initiatives were mainly to help the country tackle the health, economic and social challenges brought about by the global Covid-19 pandemic and the fall in world crude oil prices.
Here is a rundown:
March 9: Announces a 32-member Cabinet, which for the first time in the country’s history does not have a deputy prime minister and instead has four senior ministers.
March 11: Sets up the Economic Action Council (EAC) to deal with the economic challenges facing the country and launches a special fund for Covid-19 patients.
March 13: Increases the number of hospitals treating Covid-19 cases through collaboration with private, military and university hospitals.
March 16: Announces the nationwide enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) from March 18-31 to curb the spread of Covid-19, which includes closing the country’s borders to foreigners.
March 19: Announces an additional allocation of RM160mil for the Health Ministry (MOH), to be given to 26 hospitals for buying medical and non-medical assets in the wake of the second wave of the coronavirus in the country.
March 23: Announces an additional allocation of RM500mil for MOH to combat Covid-19, including RM100mil for appointing 2,000 new healthcare personnel, and allows Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributors aged below 55 to withdraw their savings from Account 2 to mitigate the financial impact of Covid-19.
March 25: Extends the MCO by two weeks to April 14, announces a six-month moratorium on bank loan repayments and a restructuring of outstanding credit card balance and corporate loans.
March 27: Unveils RM250bil Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package for the benefit of all segments of the rakyat, with RM128bil or more than half of the allocation for protecting the people’s welfare and easing their burden.
> It includes one-off cash payments totalling almost RM10bil to the M40 group and below, an additional RM1bil for MOH for the purchase of equipment and provision of services, and RM600 special monthly allowance for frontliners beginning April 1.
> A wage subsidy programme to help employers retain workers, involving an allocation of RM5.9bil which is expected to benefit 3.3 million people.
April 6: Unveils Prihatin Package for SMEs (Additional Measures) of RM10bil specifically for helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
April 10: Announces another two-week extension of MCO until April 28, with several selected economic sectors allowed to reopen in stages under strict healthcare guidelines and movement restrictions throughout the MCO period.
April 15: The government announces that US$300mil or RM1.3bil from the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) fund has been returned to Malaysia by the US government.
May 1: Announces implementation of the conditional MCO, under which most economic and social activities are allowed to resume beginning May 4.
May 10: The conditional MCO, in force until May 12, to be extended until June 9.
May 30: Muhyiddin wants the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) to be amended to provide for heavier punishment on individuals convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
June 5: Unveils the short-term National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana) worth RM35bil to empower the people, propel businesses and stimulate the economy.
June 7: Announces implementation of the recovery MCO from June 10 to Aug 31 as the country has succeeded in flattening the Covid-19 infection curve and is now entering the recovery phase. – Bernama
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