KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — Newly-appointed chairman of the National Recovery Council (NRC) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that another political polemic that could potentially divide the society is the last thing that Malaysia needs to escape Covid-19.
The former prime minister echoed the incumbent Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s “Keluarga Malaysia” or Malaysian Family concept to encourage everyone to battle the pandemic together.
“The last thing we need is more polemics or political or social divisions to distract us from the urgent, existential task of fighting Covid-19 and rebuilding the economy.
“Echoing the honourable prime minister, we must come together in the spirit of ‘Keluarga Malaysia’, as our common future and shared destiny as a nation are at stake if we do not work together to get Malaysia back on its feet,” he said during the closing address of National Recovery Summit 2021 here.
Earlier in the speech, he said that NRC will be built based on four founding principles that included strengthening Malaysia’s public healthcare system and related industries to enhance preparedness to exit the pandemic into the endemic stage and preparing for potential future pandemics.
Muhyiddin added that NRC will identify economic sectors that require the utmost attention such as tourism, education and small and medium enterprises in the short- to medium-term while identifying and properly incentivising businesses with good growth potential.
He added that the third principle would be creating a conducive and sustainable ecosystem for inclusive growth which will enable a robust recovery that includes strategies for the development of physical and digital infrastructure as well as bolstering commitment to the environment, social and governance policies.
He said that the last principle is enhancing the adoption of digitalisation in businesses and government services and providing the necessary infrastructure that will encourage the adoption of digital technologies, while ensuring that the growth nurtured through the recovery process is distributed evenly, to avoid widening of income gaps and worsening fault lines in the society.
Last week, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali announced that Muhyiddin will head the NRC which carries a similar status as a minister on September 1, before presenting it to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Muhyiddin resigned from his post last month after Umno pulled support from his Perikatan Nasional government.
