High hospital bed use among factors keeping Kedah, Johor in Phase 1

The high utilisation rate of hospital beds, including those in the ICU in Kedah and Johor, is among the reasons the two states have not moved to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) despite having a high percentage of their adult population vaccinated.

National Security Council (NSC) director-general Rodzi Md Saad said in this regard, the people in these states should be aware of the importance of adhering to SOPs as well as security protocols.

“No point in questioning why we haven’t moved to the next phase when the people’s compliance with the SOPs is not up to mark. It all depends on the people,” he said in a programme on Radio Televisyen Malaysia last night.

Kedah and Johor are the only states still in Phase One. Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka and Sabah are in Phase Two; Perlis, Negeri Sembilan and Sarawak in Phase Three; and Labuan in Phase Four.

In another development, Rodzi said the country’s defence and cyber security systems are on par with those in developed countries, and have gained international recognition.

“At the Asean level, we often exchange views and experiences and Malaysia’s input is sought by other countries such as Singapore in dealing with cyber threats.

“The country’s ability to deal with cyber threats with the available expertise is also used as an example or model in European countries as well as Japan in managing cyber threats in their respective countries,” he said.