Malaysia plans extra $4.8 bln for special COVID-19 fund

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's government will propose to raise by 20 billion ringgit ($4.84 billion) the ceiling of a newly established fund to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said on Friday.

The move will increase the size of the COVID-19 fund to 65 billion ringgit, to fund aid packages and the needs of frontline workers and future procurement of vaccines, Tengku Zafrul said when presenting the government's 2021 Budget. ($1 = 4.1340 ringgit)