Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said 97.7% of the adult population and 93.6% of adolescents have received their second dose.

“This places Malaysia among countries with the highest vaccination rate,” he said at a press conference today.

However, he said the Covid-19 death rate was still high among unvaccinated individuals. He urged those who have not received their Covid-19 vaccines to do so.

Muhyiddin also said there was “a desperate need” for Malaysia to strengthen its livestock industry to achieve self-sufficiency levels and manage the input cost of livestock.

He added that Malaysia imported almost 100% of its chicken feed, which landed the country in trouble when there was a disruption in the global supply chain.

The council recommended that the government take a closer look at its policies so that a part or all of the country’s livestock feed was produced locally.

Muhyiddin said government-linked companies (GLCs) with land, like oil palm plantations, could also use part of the area to plant corn.

“This is so that Malaysia does not need to rely 100% or reduce its reliance on imported livestock feed,” he said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government would introduce a moving ceiling price for food items in a bid to strengthen food security.

He said ceiling prices would be adjusted based on changes in the prices of various inputs in the supply chain.