Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has defended the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying swift financial assistance and economic measures helped Malaysians weather one of the country’s toughest crises.
Speaking at a Sembang Santai programme in Kampung Jayor on Saturday, Muhyiddin reflected on his time as prime minister during the pandemic, saying he carried the responsibility of leading the country through an unprecedented health emergency.
“I barely slept day and night because I was thinking about how to save the country. I didn’t want people to die from the disease or because they had no food on the table,” he said.
RM850 billion in Covid-19 support
Muhyiddin said his administration rolled out support measures worth around RM850 billion to help individuals, businesses and the economy recover during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
He said financial aid was channelled directly into recipients’ bank accounts, allowing assistance to reach those in need quickly.
“When I announced assistance packages, people would wait in front of their televisions to hear what was coming next. Within a week, many saw RM2,000 or RM3,000 credited into their bank accounts,” he said.
Compares aid with BKJ
Muhyiddin also compared the aid distributed during the PN administration with the Johor government’s Bantuan Kasih Johor (BKJ), claiming recipients had to wait longer to receive the RM200 assistance.
He said the powers entrusted to him as prime minister were used to manage the country’s affairs and guide Malaysia through the Covid-19 crisis.
Muhyiddin also reiterated PN’s commitment to combating corruption, saying the issue continues to cause significant losses to the country and remains one of the coalition’s key priorities as it campaigns in the Johor state election.
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