KOTA KINABALU:Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's recent visit to Indonesia, at the invitation of the Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), augurs well for a strong economic recovery for Malaysia post-COVID-19 pandemic, says Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

Yong said Sabahans, especially, should feel encouraged because among the main issues discussed were on Malaysia-Indonesia joint efforts to counter the anti-palm oil campaign and the involvement of Malaysian businesses in the building of Indonesia's capital in Kalimantan.

"Both subjects -- oil palm and Kalimantan -- have an immense impact on the economic wellbeing of Malaysians, especially in Sabah," Yong said in a statement today.

He said the study into the setting up of a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) for travel between Malaysia and Indonesia was also significant, as some critics had hastily condemned it as a "travel bubble" that is risky and premature.

The RGL is being prepared to allow for travel from one COVID-19 free zone to another without having to close the entire country to each other, for instance from Sabah to Kalimantan, he said.

"It is for this same reason that the Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) has called for a study to include China and South Korea in a possible RGL with Malaysia or parts of Malaysia.

"It is for this pragmatic reason that Singapore and Hong Kong have planned for the future (but yet to be implemented) their reciprocal travel during the pandemic," he added.

Yong also praised the Prime Minister for having the foresight to plan ahead to ensure a strong and urgent economic recovery once the pandemic ends.

With vaccines now widely available and the pandemic peaking in most countries, Yong said many not only expect the beginning of the end of the pandemic to have started but also hope that by the time the Tokyo Olympics is held in July, the world would have sufficiently recovered from COVID-19.

"Opposition parties and their cyber troopers should, therefore, stop their silly antics, stop sulking and stop making fun of the Prime Minister's official visit to Indonesia which, it should be repeated, was at the invitation of the Indonesian President.

"It is common knowledge that the Prime Minister and his team have been working hard every day to overcome the pandemic," he said.

In this unprecedented period, with standard operating procedures that need to be constantly adjusted to balance public health with people's livelihood, Muhyiddin has done exceedingly well with his calmness and focus on the challenges at hand, he added.

-- BERNAMA