Malaysia has recorded a lower excess mortality rate throughout the pandemic, from March 2020 up until December 2021, when compared to many developed countries.

According to a study by the Health Ministry dubbed the "Excess Mortality During Covid-19 Pandemic in Malaysia", the country had an excess mortality rate of 0.55 percent compared to 13.84 percent in England and 18.62 percent in the United States.

He said while the cause of this warranted further study, the preliminary analysis indicated that there was a reduction in deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCD), possibly due to a change in lifestyle - namely eating and health habits, the use of face masks and lack of social interaction.