Extending the movement control order (MCO) until April 14 was not an easy decision as it burdens the people, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
However, he added that health, scientific and epidemiological data demanded the extension to flatten the Covid-19 infection curve.
Khairy also pointed out that the nation is at war with an invisible adversary, which has prompted numerous countries to implement similar or stricter lockdowns.
“Times of war require extraordinary sacrifices.
“If the infection curve is not flattened, we might not have sufficient health equipment such as ventilators and beds in the intensive care units to treat patients,” he tweeted this afternoon.
The minister said if the MCO, which commenced on March 18 and scheduled to end on March 31, was not extended, the sacrifices of the people over the past two weeks would come to naught.
Referring to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's upcoming announcement of a more comprehensive stimulus package, Khairy assured that the government would do its best to help the people during this period of economic hardship.
Responding to a Twitter user who expressed concern over having to deal with both an outbreak and economic recession in Malaysia, Khairy said the stimulus package aims to avoid this.
“We want to avoid both, hence the economic stimulus package. But if we don’t defeat the pandemic first, some of us may not even be around to live through a recession,” he replied.
The minister said to assist the Health Ministry, the Higher Education Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry have set up 10 additional diagnostic labs at institutions of higher learning and university hospitals.
Among them, Khairy added, is a mobile lab which can be dispatched to hot spot areas.
In a televised address earlier, Muhyiddin announced the MCO extension and revealed that the nation recorded a total of 172 Covid-19 cases as of noon today, raising the total number to 1,796.
Malaysia has also recorded 17 deaths so far.
The prime minister said based on the briefing from the Health Ministry and National Security Council, the government is expecting the upward trend to continue.
He added that the government would also look into the need of extending the MCO beyond the April 14 deadline.
“Please stay calm and don't panic. Even though we have extended the movement control order, you don't have to unnecessarily stock up on food because the supply is sufficient.
"I assure you that food is enough for everybody," he said. - Mkini
Come on YB we poor ppl know that food is enough but is our money enough?Even we want to withdraw our own savings from EPF also have to wait till 1/4/20.Is that logic at all?How about ppl with no EPF? Ppl with part time or daily salary?we have been left behind for a week now.
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