KUALA LUMPUR – An opposition leader urged Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to reconsider the decision to include lawmakers as part of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine recipients.
Amanah secretary-general Datuk Mohd Hatta Ramli said the government should prioritise frontline workers and high-risk groups, and that MPs and assemblymen should be treated no differently than ordinary Malaysians.
The Lumut MP said that while he acknowledged that lawmakers’ jobs may require them to be on the ground, they can strictly observe standard operating procedures (SOPs) and movement restrictions to reduce the risk of infection.
“At the moment, vaccines are very limited, so they must only be given to those who are truly in need.
“We (MPs and assemblymen) are not frontliners like health personnel and other authorities. I don’t think the people see us as frontliners,” he told The Vibes today.
“There are currently 220 MPs, and if we take the vaccines, that will mean 220 more deserving people will not be getting them. To me, the right should be given to those more deserving, including senior citizens.
“We MPs can avoid Covid-19 risk by abiding to strict SOPs, avoiding gatherings, and taking care of ourselves. When our turn comes, then we can be inoculated.”
Under the current plan, 500,000 frontline workers will be vaccinated by April as part of the first phase of the rollout, followed by 9.4 million high-risk individuals between April and August.
The third and final phase will involve more than 16 million adults aged 18 and older, and will run from May to February next year.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin announced that MPs and state assemblymen will be among the early recipients under the national Covid-19 immunisation programme, considering their work requires them to be in close contact with the public.
Hatta said this is not an acceptable reason for the government to prioritise elected legislators over others.
“If the reason is to provide confidence to the rakyat that the vaccine is safe, then I agree. Otherwise, please get the priorities right. I worry it will only anger the people,” he said.
Hatta also said the rolling out of vaccines to lawmakers does not mean Parliament can sit, pointing out that its suspension is due to the emergency proclamation and is not determined by the immunisation plan.
His view differs from that of his Pakatan Harapan colleagues, who earlier told The Vibes that the inoculation of MPs would mean that there is no longer a reason for Parliament not to reconvene.
PM’s explanation makes no sense
Gooi Hsiao Leung, PKR's assemblyman for Bukit Tengah in Penang echoed Hatta, saying the prime minister ought to review the decision for lawmakers to be given early vaccination and stick to the original three-phase plan priority list.
He mainly questioned the preferential treatment for politicians ahead of vulnerable groups like the elderly and those with medical conditions.
“Is the government’s decision for elected representatives to be given priority for the vaccination based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations?” he asked.
Gooi said certain groups in the workforce, like retail workers and bus drivers, should also be given urgent priority as their jobs require them to be in constant contact with many people.
He said Muhyiddin’s explanation that lawmakers require quick vaccination due to the nature of their jobs in meeting people on the ground is also “utter nonsense”.
“Is the prime minister saying that their lives are less important than politicians who get to jump the vaccination queue? It is unethical, indecent, and downright wrong,” he said. – The Vibes, February 17, 2021
Additional reporting by Rachel Yeoh
