KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is under quarantine following a close contact with a Covid-19 patient, his office said in a statement on Monday (Aug 30).

His office did not say how long he would be in quarantine or whether he had been tested for the coronavirus.

Datuk Seri Ismail was sworn in as prime minister earlier this month, succeeding Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who had resigned after failing to hold on to a narrow majority in Parliament.

He takes charge amid public anger over the handling of the pandemic, with a recent surge in Covid-19 cases to record highs and downgraded growth forecasts after the economy was battered by extended lockdowns.

Although a number of states have made great progress in inoculating their population, there are still six states whose proportion of adult population receiving their second dose is still below 50 per cent.

They are Perak (46.5 per cent), Terengganu (46.2 per cent), Johor (44.9 per cent), Kedah (43.2 per cent), Kelantan (43.1 per cent) and Sabah (37.1 per cent).

Mr Ismail said these six states have been targeted to have 50 per cent of their adult population fully vaccinated by the end of September at the very latest.

He added that the Health Ministry and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry have been given until the end of September to ensure that this target is reached.