SELANGOR exco member Ganabatirau Veraman has demanded answers from the Government over recent news that few ministers have the intention of purchasing vaccines for their clients or stakeholders using their respective ministries’ allocations.
The Federal Government, too, allowed state governments to purchase vaccines, while employers could also purchase vaccines from product registration holders (PRHs) to vaccinate their employees, said the Kota Kemuning assemblyman.
“My question is, everyone is allowed to purchase vaccines these days, what happened to the vaccines purchased by Khairy Jamaluddin as the COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister?”
It was previously announced that the Malaysian Government has purchased vaccines for 130% of the targeted population, which is more than enough to cover the targeted population of Malaysia including private concessionaires, foreign workers and undocumented migrants.
“The Government has spent billions of ringgit to buy vaccines but now everyone wants to buy their own. On top of that, countries like China, Japan, the US and the UK are donating vaccines to us as well,” Ganabatirau told FocusM.
“So where are all these vaccines being used? If ministries are allowed to purchase vaccines, I think the Federal Government should not have bought vaccines in such a large quantity.
“Since the beginning, YB Khairy mentioned that everyone will be vaccinated under the NIP. This has obviously changed, seeing as to how the current mode is ‘vaccines are open for sale’.
“However, state governments who want to purchase vaccines must purchase them from the Federal Government. Meanwhile, private sectors can purchase vaccines from PRHs. So why can’t states buy directly from manufacturers or from PRHs, then?”
The arrangement is puzzling, and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Government is truly making a mockery of the system, Ganabatirau lamented.
The lawyer and activist further urged MPs, in the upcoming Parliament session, to debate and question the arrangements of vaccine-purchasing by government agencies and the private sector.
More importantly, the authorities must also investigate the purpose of buying vaccines in large quantities for the NIP while at the same time allowing ministries and agencies to purchase their own share of vaccines.
“This is such a waste of money. Each ringgit spent on the vaccines need to be explained to the people in detail. If there are elements of corruption, the authorities must not hesitate to take appropriate action, even against the ministers,” he concluded. – July 23, 2021
