Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said self-test kits are crucial for Malaysians to live in the “new normal” and the government should subsidise the price to make it affordable for B40 and M40 groups.

“This is an important part of a systematic and comprehensive FTTIS+V (find, test, trace, isolate, support and vaccinate) approach which is needed to deal with the pandemic.

“Testings can be done at the ‘point of interaction’ such as factories, offices or social events to prevent and reduce outbreaks.

“I urge the government to take an extra step to subsidise the price of the Covid-19 self-test kit to make it affordable and accessible to the public so it can be accepted as the ‘new normal’,” he said, adding that the price should be less than RM10.

Earlier today, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the government had set RM16 as the wholesale ceiling price and RM19.90 as retail ceiling price for self-test kits.

The ceiling prices will take effect from Sept 5. They said the price control was aimed at ensuring the self-test kits are affordable for businesses and the public.

Currently, self-test kits in the market cost between RM28 and RM41.

Yii also said subsidising the price of self-test kits would help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they could then incorporate the test kits into their workplace SOPs.

“SMEs are already struggling due to the slow economy. The government must look at alleviating some of their burden while encouraging ‘safe practices’ including a culture of frequent testing to ensure the economy keeps going,” he added.