PM: Malaysia loses RM 1 bil every day the country is in MCO

During the press conference yesterday (15-June), Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin revealed that the government is recording RM 1 billion worth of losses every day the country continues to observe the Movement Control Order (MCO) 3.0 total lockdown.

Muhyiddin has long hinted that the country cannot go back into a total lockdown similar to the first MCO implemented in March 2020.

But as the number of new cases begun to hit 9,000 a day while hospitals reported they are operating at the seams, the government had no choice but to implement yet another total lockdown.

The PM described the decision to implement the total lockdown as not an easy one, he further emphasised that Malaysia needs to come out of the Covid-19 crisis as quickly as possible.

Previously, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz had told the media that the country lost RM 2.4 billion daily during the first MCO.

Hence, during the second MCO, the decision was made to allow more economic sectors to remain operational. This has helped reduce the daily loss to RM 300 million. 

Now that the number of daily new cases have reduced to the 4,000 mark, Muhyiddin is confident that the country is ready to move on to the second phase of MCO 3.0. Unfortunately, interstate travelling will still not be allowed during Phase 2.