KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has been appointed the National Recovery Plan (NRP) coordinating minister.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said the appointment was agreed to during the first-ever virtual meeting of the Special Cabinet Committee on National Recovery Plan chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Putrajaya, near, here, today.
"The meeting agreed to appoint Tengku Zafrul the NRP coordinating minister who will be responsible for monitoring the strategies and assistance implementation as well as taking proactive measures that are suitable and dynamic during the Covid-19 pandemic faced by the country," said a statement from PMO today.
The statement added that to ensure the smooth running of the recovery plan, the Economic Stimulus Implementation and Coordination Unit Between National Agencies (Laksana) under the Finance Ministry has been appointed the NRP secretariat to coordinate all efforts by the ministry and agencies directly involved in the NRP.
The meeting also agreed to strengthen cooperation with experts in the health, economic and social sector.
The cooperation was to gain feedback and continuously evaluate the effectiveness of public health measures implemented, patient management strategies in hospitals as well as vaccination strategies involving the country's population.
"With the involvement of professional groups especially public health and economic experts in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, it is an ongoing effort by the government to ensure that the strategy is on the right track.
"The government understands the difficulties of the people at this time and the challenges faced in the effort to recover the country from the pandemic.
"Therefore, the government will continue to ensure that all actions in ensuring the success of NRP will prioritise the welfare of the people as well as being transparent and inclusive," it said.
The Special Cabinet Committee on National Recovery Plan will also monitor the strategies and assistance implemented under the NRP to ensure Malaysia systematically emerges from the pandemic especially in the presence of new Covid-19 variants.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob; Senior Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein; Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof; Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Jidin; Tengku Zafrul; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
Also present at the meeting were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.