Proposal to reopen country's border agreed by MPN members - Muhyiddin

PONTIAN: The proposal by the National Recovery Council (MPN) on the reopening the country's border was not a personal decision, but mutually agreed by members of the council, said its chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former prime minister said the matter was discussed at a meeting chaired by him recently.

Muhyiddin said opening of the border was important to revive the country's economy, especially the business and tourism sectors, and hoped that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob would agree to the council's proposal to reopen the country's borders by March 1.

"Please PM (prime minister), it's a proposal by MPN and not my own. In the meeting, the Health Minister was there and when asked whether there would be compulsory quarantine, he said no need.

"Asked when can the border be opened, he said it can be opened on March 1," Muhyiddin said this in his speech at the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Chinese New Year reception here last night.

Also present were Gerakan president Senator Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai and Senior International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is also PN Information chief.

In early February, the MPN recommended that the government fully open the country's borders as early as March 1, but the cabinet had yet to discuss the proposal.

-- BERNAMA