Malaysia supports ASEAN's lead on reserve of medical supplies development - PM Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia supports the decision for ASEAN to take the lead on the development of the proposed ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

In his intervention during the 24th APT Summit on Wednesday, he said Malaysia viewed both the existing ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies (RRMS) and the proposed APT RRMS need to be synergised and streamlined to avoid duplication.

He said the ASEAN RRMS aimed to strengthen the region's capacity, resilience and preparedness for effective response to future public health emergencies.

"In the case that total synergy is elusive and duplication cannot be avoided, Malaysia would encourage our Plus Three partners to render support to the existing ASEAN RRMS," he said.

The ASEAN 24th APT Summit was held at the sidelines of the three-day virtual 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits which began Tuesday under the chairmanship of Brunei. APT consists of ten ASEAN member states and China, Japan and South Korea.

Ismail Sabri also touched on cybersecurity, urging the APT to recognise the importance of safe and seamless cyber environment as a key priority area of digital economy.

"Subsequently, it is imperative that we develop robust and forward-looking measures to ensure that the region is not vulnerable to attacks," he said.

The Prime Minster said Malaysia stands ready to work with the APT family, adding that CyberSecurity Malaysia, a national cybersecurity specialist agency, could greatly contribute towards enhancing the regional cybersecurity landscape.

-- BERNAMA