Former premier Najib Abdul Razak is urging the insurance company and private medical groups behind the MySalam insurance scheme to bear the cost of Covid-19 testing.
He said they should either bear the full cost or share it with the government to ensure that the public can get free testing.
"I don't agree that the B40 and M40 groups should bear the cost of testing by paying the appointed private companies," he said in a Facebook post today.
"If the real cost (not what is charged) for testing a person is RM100, then even if one million people get tested, the total cost is RM100 million, far lower than the RM400 million the government pays for the MySalam scheme each year.
"We don't want the people not to get tested because they worry about paying for it," he added.
Najib said MySalam already has access to a database of the B40 and M40, so covering the cost of testing should not be a major issue.
The MySalam scheme, of which there is a RM2 billion premium, is funded by the Great Eastern Life Insurance firm.
Meanwhile, Najib yesterday also issued a plea to all those who attended a tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur, late last month, to come forward and get tested for Covid-19.
"Even if you don't feel ill, or don't have Covid-19 symptoms at all, this doesn't mean you are not a risk to others.
"This is because not everyone will get sick, or only have minor symptoms even though you are infected," he said.
A majority of the 1,183 cases of Covid-19 in the country are linked to the gathering which was attended by some 14,500 Malaysians and 2,000 foreigners.
Authorities are also tracking down the Rohingya who were at the gathering.
At least five people connected to this group have already died from the virus. - Mkini
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