Mere hours before the country‘s total lockdown, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced an aid package titled Pemerkasa Plus worth RM 40 Billion.

Here's all you need to know:

The government will be allocating RM 1 Billion towards the betterment of Malaysia's healthcare system:

• RM 450 Million allocated to increase bed capacity and ICU equipment for both public and teaching hospitals (UiTM and UKM)

• RM 200 Million allocated to private hospitals as well.

As for the nation's Covid-19 Vaccination programmes:

• MOSTI minister (Khairy J) has been informed to speed up the vaccination drive-through process as much as 150,000 doses per day, with the help of volunteers in order to achieve herd immunity by the end of year. 

• Government assets (buses and vans) will be utilized to assist those in rural areas in getting to their vaccination centers

As for BPR:

• RM 2.1 Billion will be allocated, specifically;

  - RM 500 for household incomes > RM2500

  - RM 300 for household incomes RM 2501 - RM 5000

  - RM 100 for single households

• For the unemployed and B40 communities alongside SMEs, they can either choose an automatic 3-month moratorium or payback in installments for 6 months.

• Rehabilitation scheme for buses and taxis worth RM1 billion, wherein operators are eligible for a 12-month moratorium.

• One-month wages subsidy worth RM 1.5 billion will be granted to all economic sectors affected by the lockdown.

• Taxi, school bus, and ride-hailing drivers will be given one-off financial aid worth RM 500. 

• Discounts on electricity bills will be imposed on traveling sectors and shopping malls for the month of July.

•SMEs to receive RM1,000 in June, and another RM500 in July, from the Prihatin Khas Grant.

• Hotel operators, travel agencies, shopping malls, convention centers, theme parks, and local airlines are eligible for electric bill discounts of up to 10% for three months.

As for frontliners:

• The contracts of more than 14,000 medical officers and nurses to be extended until 2022. Other than that, 500 medical personnel who were supposed to retire will be asked to return.

Lastly,

• All ministers and deputy ministers will not be receiving salaries for 3 months starting June 2021. Their salaries will instead be used for disaster relief in relation to Covid-19.

More to come...