Putrajaya bought face masks from China, says minister

Retailers have reported having run out of stocks of face masks.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia made a direct purchase of face masks from factories in China, said Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong today.

He described as slander an accusation by Putrajaya’s critics that the government was profiting from a donation of 10 million face masks from China by selling them at ceiling prices through Pharmaniaga.

He said the government had bought the masks from China as local manufacturers were unable to supply them.

He said Malaysian exports of face masks were banned shortly after the minister for domestic trade and consumer affairs took office.

“Local mask suppliers had no capacity to produce enough,” Wee said, and Malaysia had to import the masks from China, which had enough supplies, despite prices increasing globally after the Covid-19 outbreak.

He said the transport ministry would try to ship the face masks by air cargo in view of the needs to face the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wee said the Finance Ministry had exempted face masks from import duties and sales tax from tomorrow.

Wee said this was a long-awaited decision by many parties, so that face masks may be supplied at reasonable prices. “By exempting import duties and sales tax, we hope that it will ease the financial burden of all especially the rakyat.” - FMT