TANGKAK, June 27 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today reminded the public to continue complying with the government’s standard operating procedure (SOP) as long as the COVID-19 infection in the country has not been fully eradicated and its vaccine yet to be found.
“With the approach and strategy that we are implementing (to combat COVID-19 transmission), ‘Alhamdulillah’ (praise be to Allah), we can be proud that we are close to a situation that can be described to be nearly as normal.
“But it (fight against COVID-19) is far from over. We (the government) are of the view that the issue of COVID-19 may not be resolved as long as we have not found the vaccine and the drug,” he said when addressing the get-together with the leader programme at the Bukit Gambir Multipurpose Hall, here, today.
Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Ir Hasni Mohammad and several state executive councilors.
Muhyiddin, who is also Gambir assemblyman, said several countries including China and the United States are still struggling to find the vaccine and the effective remedy for COVID-19, with the global infections has now reached more than nine million cases and the death tolls from the virus surged past 400,000.
As long as the vaccine and drug yet to be found, Muhyiddin said that the SOP formulated to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection should be practiced at all times until the Ministry of Health (MOH) to announce otherwise.
“We should continue to practice the SOP. Among others, wearing face mask, to ensure that we won’t be infected by any disease that would make it easy for us to contract COVID-19,” the Prime Minister said.
Muhyiddin also expressed his appreciation to the front-liners for working tirelessly in the fight against the pandemic and thanking all Malaysians for practicing self-discipline in complying with the government SOP and directives.
“That is why today the world recognizes what we have done as a country that determines to control the COVID-19 outbreak.
He said Malaysia has been recognized as among the five nations in the world to have succeeded in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
Earlier, when commenting on the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), Muhyiddin, who is also Pagoh MP, said it was a historic decision that had not been implemented by the previous governments in the efforts to control the worldwide pandemic.
“Today, millions of people have been infected worldwide. Hundreds of thousands have died because of no treatment available including those in developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Therefore, the government has no choice. The only choice is to take an unprecedented action…in an unprecedented time. An extraordinary time that requires extraordinary action by imposing movement control order that allows us to have better control over the outbreak” said Muhyiddin.
— BERNAMA