PUTRAJAYA: A decision on whether to abolish the use of face masks in enclosed spaces will be looked into and decided by the Health Ministry (MoH), National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

He said the MPN meeting today raised the issue of whether the use of face masks was still necessary if the COVID-19 situation improves further to Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

"He (Dr Noor Azmi) said the ministry will closely study the matter. This is not just because Singapore had done it, and so we have to as well," he told a media conference after chairing the meeting here.

According to media reports, people in Singapore today will no longer be required to wear face masks except on public transport and in healthcare facilities.

Muhyiddin believes that wearing a face mask is the best measure to ensure one is not infected with COVID-19, adding: "It has already become a habit for people in this country after two years of dealing with the pandemic."


"I believe the use of face masks has become more of a habit rather than a compulsion. If and when the time comes that it is not made compulsory, the people can still continue to use them if they want to feel safe," he said.

On the implementation of the 2022 Tourism Recovery Plan launched by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) last May, Muhyiddin believes that the four-year recovery period proposed by MOTAC is too long.

The former prime minister suggested that MOTAC be more aggressive in its plans and actions as failure to revive the tourism industry in a strong manner will affect the country's economic recovery.

-- BERNAMA