DAP urges Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to urgently inject RM45 billion to top up the RM65 billion COVID-19 Fund which is nearly exhausted after having only RM8.6 billion left to spend for the second half of 2021 compared to RM18.4 billion already spent for the first half of 2021. COVID-19 infections have reached a record high with a cumulative 1,900,467 cases and 19,163 deaths on 8 September.
More funds are needed to battle COVID-19, especially accelerating vaccination, implementing mass test screening of Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support plus vaccination (FTTIS+V) as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as ensure our hospitals and health services are fully manned and funded with sufficient ICU beds, medicines, and facilities to care for sick patients. Of particular concern is that our health system is on the verge of breaking point, if not collapsed completely, with many hospitals unable to cope and even ensure physical distancing to prevent infections.
The Ministry of Finance had revealed that RM9.1 billion was used in 1Q2021 and RM9.3 billion used in 2Q2021, a total of RM18.4 billion. With the RM38 billion used in 2020, this meant that the total spent under the Covid-19 fund amounts to RM56.4 billion. This leaves only RM8.6 billion left from the RM65 billion COVID-19 Fund for the remaining six months of 2021, less than 50% of the RM18.4 billion spent for the first 6 months of the year. In other words, only RM27 billion will be spent in 2021 as compared to RM38 billion in 2020 on battling COVID-19 and providing financial aid.
With the COVID-19 situation now worse in the second half than the first half of the year despite the Emergency and serial Movement Control Orders(MCOs), more funds than the RM18.4 billion spent for the first half of the year are required for the remaining 6 months of the year. Instead, the government has only RM8.6 billion left to spend. Further, on top of the RM500 billion in economic losses since the first MCO was imposed last year, the economy is in an even more vulnerable position with many businesses and jobs in jeopardy from the several total lockdowns.
RM8.6 billion is not enough to battle and win COVID-19 or pull the economy out of the recession for the second half of the year. If RM38 billion can be spent to battle COVID-19 and on financial aid in 2020, RM27 billion for 2021 is definitely insufficient. What is required is an immediate injection of RM45 billion to save lives and livelihood. The Prime Minister must act and act now.