KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will be getting an additional US$800,000 (RM3.3 million) in Covid-19 assistance from the United States to support vaccination for hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities by way of the Malaysian Red Crescent (MRC).
It will also support safe quarantine facilities for these communities and help keep Malaysia’s economic recovery moving forward.
The announcement was made after US ambassador Brian McFeeters met with Tunku Temenggong Kedah and MRC national chairman Tan Sri Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz Almarhum Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, and MRC secretary-general Hakim Hamzah.
“Malaysia is doing a wonderful job at vaccinating its population, and this additional assistance will enhance efforts to assist vulnerable communities and help keep the whole country safe.
“As we race to contain Covid-19 once and for all, these USAID funds are critical to our work to help protect people from this disease, particularly those most vulnerable,” said Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz.
“We are striving to reach the last mile in our vaccinations in all corners of the country, and we must remember that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Covid-19 is indifferent to one’s race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality. Thank you to ambassador McFeeters and USAID for supporting Malaysian Red Crescent’s efforts.”
This additional assistance builds on more than US$2 million in Covid-19 assistance from the US to Malaysia since the pandemic first began.
On July 5, the US donated one million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shots to Malaysia, as well as medical supplies, test kits, ambulances, and more.
The US business community in Malaysia, through My AmCham Cares, has also provided over RM7 million in donations to Covid-19 relief efforts since last year. – The Vibes, October 21, 2021