KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has proposed the setting up of a post-economic recovery plan for the Asean region to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
He said the plan was not just to provide financial support but also social safety, food supplies and education as well.
The suggestion was put forth today during an Asean leaders virtual summit where leaders from the 10 respective nations met to discuss and propose various initiatives, as the bloc seeks collective and coordinated action against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Asean economic recovery plan must provide steps to ensure a steady stream of supplies to the 600 million inhabitants in the region.
“This includes food and essential goods as well as medical supplies. Besides that we should also ensure we provide the capacity and critical infrastructures to ensure the smooth flow of trade, be it from air, land or sea,” Muhyiddin said in a statement this afternoon.
Apart from that, Muhyiddin urged all Asean nations not to put in place unnecessary trade restrictions when it comes to medical supplies, food and essential items.
Adding to that, the bloc also agreed to form the Covid-19 Asean Response Fund that will collect donations to be used for future outbreaks.
“We support the establishment of the fund to increase our emergency stock in order to face any future outbreaks.
“Asean must continue to add to its medical reserves besides utilising whatever we already have to help the needs of each other during these trying times,” he added.
The 10-member South-east Asia grouping has held a number of cross-sectoral meetings over the past few weeks, deliberating on issues as varied as collaborative outbreak investigations and supply chain maintenance.
Today's virtual meeting was chaired by Vietnam’s prime minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
