PETALING JAYA: The government is mulling more leeway on the wearing of face masks since it was first introduced in the country two years ago, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"If it (donning of face masks) has become a norm, the (Health) Ministry said that it would be good if we are not forced to wear them," he said after chairing the National Recovery Council (NRC) on Monday (Aug 29).
He said that the matter was raised by Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali when presenting the latest Covid-19 situation to the council.
"I also raised the matter of such flexibility.
"Any decision will be based on the ministry's evaluation," he added.
Muhyiddin was asked to comment on the move by Singapore to lift the compulsory use of masks in public places except on public transport and in healthcare facilities on Monday.
The wearing of face masks in Malaysia was made compulsory on Aug 1, 2020 with flexibility over its use in open spaces on May 1 this year.
On a separate matter, Muhyiddin said the NRC has proposed that the government provide more incentives to the tourism sector while improving infrastructure as soon as possible to ensure the industry remains competitive and not left behind in the region's recovery.
"More efforts must be considered as the sector is the catalyst that generates billions for the nation's economy," he added.
He said the four-year recovery time proposed by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry should be shortened to three years.
