KUALA LUMPUR: National Recovery Council chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has pledged to draw comprehensive, sustainable and well-organised plans to reinvigorate the country's socioeconomic activities.
In his Malaysia Day message, the former prime minister said the country is on the right track to recovery as the plans under his Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration since last year are coming to fruition now.
"The most obvious one is the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) that has led to our country having one of the fastest vaccination rates in the world.
"To date, over 73.4 per cent of our adult population or more than 17 million individuals have been fully vaccinated.
"A total 91.3 per cent of (the adult population) have received at least one dose. This means we are inching closer towards achieving herd immunity.
"In tandem with our vaccination progress, socioeconomic activities have resumed. Except Johor and Kedah, all other states have moved from Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) to allow people to move more freely subject to the health standard operating procedures (SOP) that are still in force.
"Recently, the 'travel bubble' was introduced to rejuvenate the tourism industry with Langkawi being the first destination. I was told that almost all hotels in Langkawi have been fully booked. This is a good start for our country's tourism sector," he said.
However, Muhyiddin cautioned Malaysians that the war against Covid-19 is far from over although the country gears towards treating the virus as endemic.
He advised the public to remain vigilant on the emergence of newer and more virulent variants.
"As I have said earlier, 2021 is the Year of Recovery for Malaysia. Therefore, this year's Malaysia Day is special as we pin our hopes to exit from this pandemic, leave behind our fears and rise again from our past setbacks.
"In conjunction with Malaysia Day 2021, let us come together as one nation to prevail over Covid-19 and free our country from this health crisis. Let us work together to rebuild the economy and our lives post-pandemic," he said.
Muhyiddin also hoped that the new government will continue his previous administration's efforts to fulfill the aspirations enshrined in the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).
"These efforts are important and meaningful to the people of Sabah and Sarawak which will surely bolster our unity and national integration," he added.