KUALA PERLIS, July 1 — Perlis is expected to move to Phase Two of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan (PPN) by next week, but it all depends on a decision from the federal government, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man.

He said that the matter would be tabled at a special meeting with the National Security Council (MKN) tomorrow, for flexibility to be given to Perlis following several indicators set by the MKN that have been and are being met.

"I have examined some of the complaints from the people of Perlis posted on various communication platforms such as Facebook, Whatapp and so on. There are some good and pertinent inputs relating to the state. I would present it to the federal government for scrutiny and to be given leeway.

"Perlis has only one indicator left to achieve to move to Phase Three of PPN.  That is, the level of two-dose vaccination has not reached the rate of 40 per cent in the state,” he told reporters here today.

Local media previously reported that Perlis only needed about 26 per cent more of its population to receive two doses of Covid-19 vaccine to enable the state to enter Phase Three of the PPN, which allows free movement and economic activities without restrictions.

To date, about 25 per cent of Perlis residents have received the first dose of the vaccine while 14 per cent have received two doses.

The three key threshold value indicators that need to be achieved to enable Perlis to move to Phase Two of PPN are the average daily Covid-19 cases dropping below 4,000, the bed utilisation rate in intensive care unit (ICU) at a moderate level and vaccination rate for the population that has received two complete doses reaching 10 per cent.

He said the state government had also intensified efforts at the grassroots level to enable the vaccination process to be carried out immediately.

Media previously also reported that Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu are among several states that are expected to move to Phase Two of the PPN next week.

The decision to end the "total lockdown” in several states would be made by the Putrajaya administration based on the three key threshold value indicators in those states that have been successfully met as a result of the PPN.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster), Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, yesterday stressed that Malaysia is still in Phase One of Movement Control in the PPN, as the three key threshold value indicators have not yet been reached. — Bernama