Malaysia on right track to full recovery - Muhyiddin

He said Malaysia's GDP is expected to grow between 5.5 per cent and 6.5 per cent next year, supported by improvement in global trade, stabilised commodity prices and gradual improvement in consumer and business sentiments, following its rapid opening up and recovery post-vaccination.

On hindsight, the former prime minister stressed that recovery should not only mean bringing the country back to its pre-pandemic economic and social position, but also creating robust growth that will put Malaysia back on track to achieve its developed nation status.

"At the same time, we must also continuously improve our health system and digital infrastructure to help the country better manage similar pandemic situation in the future without grave implications on the lives and livelihood of the people," he said in his speech at the 13th Leaders Programme of the Singapore Civil Service. His speech text was made available to the media by his office.

Muhyiddin pointed out that poverty would be another major problem that the Malaysian government has to quickly address as many in the M40 and B40 groups suffered significant decrease in household income.

In this regard, he hoped that the government will continue to pursue the implementation of the Shared Prosperity Vision 2020-2030, which aimed at providing decent standard of living for all Malaysians irrespective of race, regional locations, and social status.

On civil service, Muhyiddin said it is important for the policymakers to be guided by the proper advice of the civil servants who were the custodians of those policies.

"When we exercise our powers and authorities as ministers and prime ministers, we must ensure that it is consistent with the policies that we ourselves made.

"So, we must turn to the civil servants as custodians of those policies to seek their advice whether we, in exercising the powers and authorities vested in us, do so in accordance with the policies, laws and rules that are currently in force," he explained.

He said this is the cardinal principle that all politicians who have been vested with governmental powers and authorities have to observe, adding that everyone is bound by laws, rules and regulations, no matter how powerful they are.