Current Covid-19 stats disprove claims of Internet trolls, says Muhyiddin

PETALING JAYA: The government's success in managing the Covid-19 situation, with just 1% or 2% of severe cases in categories four and five, disproves claims made by those trying to discredit the previous govt administration says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The former prime minister, who is now the National Recovery Council (NRC) chairman, quipped that the #KerajaanGagal hashtag was a move by "trolls" but said that the Perikatan Nasional government was not a failed one as Malaysia is now seeing rapid vaccination rates and a drop in severe cases, although new cases remain high.

He also said that the government was now able to implement a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose programme for high-risk groups as well as a mass immunisation drive for adolescents because he had ensured that Malaysia procured more than enough vaccines when he was prime minister.

"Another outstanding achievement is in the vaccination process. I told Khairy Jamaluddin (the Health Minister and former science, innovation and technology minister) to go ahead, although in the beginning it was a bit unclear and nobody knew the prices of vaccines.

"But I said buy them and because of my order, we have vaccine stocks that are more than enough for the country.

"We are able to give shots to adolescents and implement the booster dose programme today because of this," Muhyiddin said in an interview with Astro Awani on Tuesday (Sept 21).

He said these achievements were possible as the planning and a large chunk of the implementation was also done during his tenure as premier.

"What was unfinished is being continued by the government now. It's our government too, I would say it is a Perikatan government as well.

"A large number of the Cabinet members now are the same as the Perikatan lineup who are continuing their duties to manage (the pandemic)," he said.