By Brigadier-General (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji
OVER the past two weeks, social media has been abuzz with rumours about the quality of Sinovac LifeSciences Co Ltd’s COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac.
Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) is obliged to speak out for two reasons. First, Pharmaniaga Bhd is under the umbrella and pride of the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), and its subsidiary is the sole distributor of CoronaVac.
Second, in the current competition for vaccine market share, the public should be aware of sinister psychological warfare to cast aspersions on rival product.
There have been rumours stating that Pharmaniaga is incapable of repackaging and distributing the said COVID-19 vaccine. For everyone’s knowledge, Pharmaniaga is the largest distributor of pharmaceutical and medical products in the country since its incorporation in 1994. It is also involved in research and development (R&D) and the manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals. Its plants is certified GMP (good manufacturing practice), meaning having to conform to stringent regulatory measures.
As a corporate entity, there should be no doubt that Pharmaniaga is capable of distributing the vaccine, whether it be the filled-and-finished doses or the finished doses direct from China.
The dealing of China’s COVID-19 vaccine is based on Government-to-Government, or G-to-G. Only after both Governments have negotiated are the dealings passed down to the corporations involved, ie, Sinovac LifeSciences Co Ltd of China and Malaysia’s Pharmaniaga LifeSciences Sdn Bhd. In contrast, the vaccines from other countries are dealt on the business-to-Government basis, or B-to-G.
Indemnity clause is not a “free pass”
Negotiation on a G-to-G basis allows for better negotiated deals that may also tie to other negotiated imports and exports, diplomatic and foreign policies. A very important factor in acquiring COVID-19 vaccine is the manufacturer’s insistence on being indemnified from any harm associated with the vaccine.
China’s Sinovac is no different. However, a negotiated G-to-G deal is different compared to a B-to-G deal. In B-to-G deal, it has been reported that the vaccine manufacturer insisted on holding a nation’s asset in foreign land as insurance, besides the insistence on indemnity. Profits are of essence for the corporates, but not as much for Governments.
Irrespective whether the vaccine supplier has been granted indemnity of vaccine-caused harm by our Government, Patriot is of the view that those seriously harmed are entitled to file legal suit against the foreign manufacturer, and a class action suit against our Government.
Even if a person has signed the consent form prior to receiving the vaccine shot, it does not prevent one from bringing a legal case against the manufacturer and the Government for negligence in a reasonable course of action.
Patriot is of the view that the rumours against Pharmaniaga are unfounded. The public should support our nation’s vaccination programme to help achieve the herd immunity soonest. – May 30, 2021.
Brigadier-General (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji is the president of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
