PUTRAJAYA – Individuals who jump the queue to receive the Covid-19 vaccine jabs can be fined not more than RM50,000, jailed not more than six months, or both, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said such action can be taken under Section 31, which is a new provision under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which comes into effect on March 11.
He said Section 31 provides for the imposition of penalties under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) for any offence not specified in it.
“Regulations made under this new subsection may prescribe any act that contravenes the regulations to be an offence, and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM50,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both,” he said.
He said this at a joint press conference with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan at the Health Ministry here today.
Dr Adham said that for now, the ministry has not received any report regarding queue jumping for Covid-19 jabs.
“So far there has been no report regarding this matter, it’s just news on social media,” he said.
On Monday, National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government had established the Guidelines to Determine List of Frontliners to avoid queue-jumping under the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
Khairy, who is also science, technology and innovation minister, said the decision was made at the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee meeting in which the guidelines provided details on frontliners.
Khairy said the guidelines have been signed by him and Dr Adham and uploaded to the websites of both ministries. – Bernama, March 3, 2021
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