PUTRAJAYA JAN 4: The Unity Government has decided not to discriminate citizens from any country from entering the country due to the rise in COVID-19 cases but instead continue with the existing procedures.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, the Cabinet Ministers have decided that the health of the Malaysians is the priority and cannot be compromised.
Anwar added, the economy and tourism cannot fight the COVID-19 infections and as such the government will monitor the foreign tourists transparently.
“The monitoring works should follow our local needs,” Anwar said in a press conference after chairing the Cabinet Ministers’ meeting today.
The Tambun Member of Parliament also cited the Ministry of Home Affairs’ record that 336,000 tourists from China arrived in 2022 and as Dec. 2022 53,000 of them toured the country.
The 10th Prime Minister added, the tourists from China have no effect to the country as far as COVID-19 is concerned.
Anwar also mentioned about the booster shots where 49.8 per cent had taken the first dose while the second dose by 1.9 per cent.
According to the Ministry of Health (KKM) six million doses are still available for the people.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister suggested that journalists should take the booster shots starting January 2023 to give a good example to the people.
He also mentioned that the government will be allocating additional loan of RM152.6 million for the construction of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA offshore patrol vessels (OPV).
“The government is “forced” to provide the loan to enable at least one OPV could be completed by this year,” Anwar said.
As the Finance Minister, Anwar stressed that he had directed the authorities to probe on alleged abuse of power whether in the Home Ministry or Defence Ministry.
“We have to save and complete the OPV project. We cannot let go those who have abused the power and personally gained from the project,” Anwar said.
As quoted by NST, the contract for the construction of three OPV for the MMEA was awarded to Malaysian Company THHE Destiny in 2017. It was reported that its principal company TH Heavy Engineering Bhd., which was classified as PN17 had accumulated RM629.8 million in losses and RM165 million in debts. – Malaysia World News
