KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pix) believes that the bipartisan approach in the National Recovery Council (MPN) is very important in order to deal with the pandemic holistically.

“I think the bipartisan approach is important in times like this and I believe it should work and I have faith. I expect the opposition will come on board,” he said to reporters after visiting the media centre in Parliament here today.

National Recovery Plan (PPN) Coordinating Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, in a statement on July 23, said that the MPN has agreed to invite representatives from opposition parties as well as from the Sabah and Sarawak state governments and experts from various industries to join the council.

These experts include the former second finance minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, businessman Tan Sri Anthony Fernandes and infectious disease expert Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.

Also, former Khazanah Nasional managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, SME Association of Malaysia president Datuk Michael Kang, Dr Sivakumar Thurairajasingam from the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, child rights activist Dr Hartini Zainudin, former Education director-general Datuk Dr Habibah Abdul Rahim and Star Media group adviser Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

The MPN is chaired by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.-Bernama