Malaysia appoints former prime minister to lead coronavirus recovery council

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has appointed former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin as chairman of a council that will focus on economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the government chief secretary said on Saturday.

The cabinet had on Wednesday agreed to the minister-level appointment for Muhyiddin based on confidence in him to lead a recovery strategy to "achieve the best economic impact and restore the lives of people affected by the pandemic", the chief secretary said in a statement.

Muhyiddin stepped down in August after losing majority support in parliament.

His premiership received criticism for mishandling the coronavirus pandemic after infections hit record highs despite more than two months of nationwide lockdowns.