Increased allowance for volunteers sign of govt recognition - Muhyiddin

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the new rate of payment beginning this month would benefit 19,000 volunteers serving more than 12 hours a day, involving an additional expenditure of RM180 million.

"This goodwill payment will also be given to healthcare volunteers serving in the field or apart from vaccination centres (PPV).

"Those at PPV we give, non-PPV also we give such as (volunteers) at quarantine centres and Low-Risk COVID-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres," he told a news conference after visiting the PPV at Dewan Muafakat Bukit Gambir here today.

He said the previous allocation for volunteers was RM147 million, and the increased payments would raise the total allocations for volunteers to RM327 million.

Muhyiddin, who is Gambir state assemblyman, said the increase in allowance was a sign of the government's recognition for the hard work put in by volunteers, including in ensuring that people could be vaccinated in an orderly, efficient and safe manner.

"This is the government's commitment ... I hope that with this they will continue to serve tirelessly to help ensure that the vaccination process can proceed smoothly.

"This shows the government's seriousness to ramp up the rate of vaccination, which has shown very encouraging progress now. We would like to remind the people that getting more people vaccinated means more people will be protected from COVID-19," he added.

He also said the government planned to have PPV operate seven days a week with longer operating hours.