'Rice availability unaffected during pandemic, unlike now' - Muhyiddin

BENTONG — Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has expressed his disappointment over the rising poverty rates in Malaysia.

In a speech at Dataran Purnama in Pelangai for the Ceramah Mega Perikatan Nasional (PN) today, Muhyiddin, who is also the PN chairman, said that the economic impact of Covid-19 has led to an increase in poverty rates, with a new category, B61, emerging alongside the previously identified B40 group.

"Today, everywhere I go, I meet Rakyat living facing the economic hardship.

"This newly identified group represents resilient individuals facing severe economic hardship," he said.

Muhyiddin also slammed the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration for its inability to solve these pressing issues swiftly.

Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, Muhyiddin said that his primary aim as Prime Minister in 2020 was to contain the virus's spread.

However, he also stressed the importance of ensuring that every citizen had enough food during these challenging times.

"But, now after pandemic, we can see some citizens still face food shortages, specifically on the rice crisis," he said.

With nearly 50 years of political experience, Muhyiddin admitted that he had misjudged Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership.

However, he noted that Anwar's current performance did not match his past reputation.

The Pelangai by-election tomorrow will see a three-cornered fight between Datuk Amizar Abu Adam from Barisan Nasional (BN), Kasim Samat from PN, and Independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.