National recovery plan allows govt to implement scheme in more structured manner

A lecturer at the Perdana Policy Centre, Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Fathi Yusof said the plan was very clear and could be used as a backup for the government to achieve recovery from the pandemic.

"This plan is vital so that the government's planning can be implemented in a more structured manner through clear targets. It can also encourage the people to be more focused on achieving recovery from COVID-19," he said.

However, he said the success of the plan would depend on the people's cooperation in complying with the stipulated rules, besides other factors such as new COVID-19 variants as well as the public's compliance level with the standard operating procedure (SOP).

Muhyiddin today announced the National Recovery Plan which is believed to be capable of bringing life back to normal by the end of this year, including reconvening Parliament in September or October.

The Prime Minister said the plan, which is a strategy to transition out of the COVID-19 crisis, covers four phases and transition of the Movement Control Order (MCO) phases in stages.

Meanwhile, National Student Consultative Council president Muhammad Amir Asyraf Mohd Sabri views the target of the recovery plan, which involves the full opening of all sectors as early as November or December, as being very suitable with the current situation in the country.

However, he said the next four months, from July to October, would determine whether or not the plan would be able to restore normality in the lives of the people or at least bring about relaxation of the various SOPs.

"The plan that has been formulated is suitable with the time frame of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, which aims to achieve herd immunity, but I feel that it can be improved by coordinating the various financial assistance programmes for those affected," he said.

Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) president Jufitri Joha is of the opinion that the four phases under the National Recovery Plan were important for the country as there were many things that needed to be resolved in an orderly manner.

"In my opinion, these phases are crucial because the things to be resolved are big issues, logically they need to be gradual for the recovery period. To achieve herd immunity up to 80 per cent requires time, but it must be admitted that vaccination needs to be expedited and economic recovery also needs to be accelerated," he said.

Meanwhile, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said the National Recovery Plan would greatly assist in the implementation of the state government's recovery measures.

Hajiji, in a statement tonight, assured that the Sabah government would give its full cooperation to ensure the four-phased recovery plan would be implemented successfully.

"Sabah fully supports the National Recovery Plan," he said, adding that the plan was most apt for the nation's recovery.

On another note, Hajiji said the state government also supports the extension of Emergency for a further six months, given the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases if by-elections for the vacant Batu Sapi parliamentary and Bugaya state seats were to go ahead.