KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) has praised the government's handling of Covid-19 and advised the nation to prepare for a different kind of post-pandemic economy.

       "I am happy with the government's success in tackling Covid-19 when it set up a body with clear leadership," he said when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) in Parliament on Thursday (Sept 30).

       "The number of new daily Covid-19 cases quickly dropped from over 25,000 a day to (around) 10,000 a day now."

       Dr Mahathir also expressed confidence that the nation's economy was on the right track towards recovery.

       "I believe that we will be able to overcome the problems due to the pandemic in a short while.

       "This will lead to the recovery of the nation's economy," he added.

       However, the Langkawi MP said the new economy would be different from the previous one.

       He said it would be more knowledge-based and more reliant on IT and artificial intelligence (AI).

       On Wednesday (Sept 29), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the entire country has moved out of Phase One of the National Recovery Plan.

       He said Melaka and the Klang Valley, which covers Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor, will move to Phase Three of the NRP.