THE Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) hurled brickbats against certain lawmakers for showing little interest in getting inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines despite Government’s green light.
“We’re thankful that the Prime Minister had agreed for lawmakers to get vaccinated under the first phase of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme as it is good move to ensure the success of our mass inoculation programme.
“However, it is upsetting that several lawmakers, from the Government and Opposition, have shown lukewarm response to it. Until now, we have yet to hear anything from our Opposition Leader (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) in regards to the matter,” its president Amrahi Buang told FocusM.
MPS and the Malaysian Association of Public Health Physicians have been urging the Government to include lawmakers under the first phase of the mass inoculation programme to boost morale among the citizens.
They added that with lawmakers getting inoculated, it would increase confidence among voters on the efficacy of the vaccines and speed up the nation’s move to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.
Subsequently, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced on Feb 16 that MPs and state assemblypersons will be among the first group that will be receiving the COVID-19 vaccines.
Create a registry on lawmakers’ vaccination status
“The Government has decided that MPs and state assemblypersons, irrespective of their political affiliations, will receive COVID-19 vaccines under the first phase,” Muhyiddin was reported saying after launching the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Guidebook virtually that day.
Touching on the matter, Amrahi also suggested that members of the Dewan Negara to get vaccinated under the first phase, as the latter are also part of the law-making process under the nation’s parliamentary democracy system.
“MPS is ready to answer any doubts that may arise among our MPs, Senators and state assemblypersons, in regards to the COVID-19 vaccines’ efficacy,” he stressed.
On that note, Amrahi urged the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Special Committee (JKJAV) to set up a public registry on the vaccination status of lawmakers, so that the public would know the inoculation status of their respective leaders.
“The registry will allow the public to know the vaccination status of their elected representatives, for the sake of transparency,” he opined. – Feb 27, 2021.
