KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — The government’s decision to keep all economic sectors open even as Covid-19 cases have spiked sharply is to prevent the unemployment rate from rising, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said today.

He said enforcing strict movement curbs like those seen under the first movement control order (MCO) could lead to a million jobless, with already low-income earners likely to be the biggest casualties. 

"The average household has four members, which means up to four million more dependents could be affected if (a million) people lose their jobs,” he told a press conference held online just minutes after the National Security Council announced tighter restrictions for the current MCO.

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