KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 — The government will distribute face masks for free to all Malaysians once a package of 10 million masks arrives from China, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.

 "I have agreed and would like to announce that when it (face masks) reaches, we will distribute it for free to all Malaysians who need it.

"This is the contribution of the government during times of crisis which we are facing now,” he said during a special address this afternoon.

He said instructions have been given to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to prepare financial details and to expedite the shipment, which he said would cost the government around RM1.18 per mask.

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