GEORGE TOWN – Penang Wanita Umno has described the state government’s leadership as a failure, following the controversy involving an offer to donate two million Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine doses by a private company last week.
Its head, Datuk Norliza Abdul Rahim, listed six reasons why the the DAP-state led government has “failed” in the matter.
Norliza, who is also Wanita Umno vice-chief, said the state government failed to carry out detailed due diligence on the company and signatories of the offer letter.
“The state government is also trying to deceive the people of Penang into believing that the federal government rejected the state government’s application to accept the donation, while in a letter to the Health Ministry (MoH), it only sought the ministry’s views and did not even seek approval.
“The state government does not understand the protocol of dealing with the federal government and fails to differentiate between seeking views, considering and seeking approval,” she said.
Norliza said the state government also failed to pay attention to Covid-19 developments in the country, as the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) had only approved the use of the Sinovac vaccine on March 19, while the state government’s letter to the MoH was dated February 15 and replied to on March 12.
And, in the event the contribution was true, Norliza questioned why did the state government not bring the matter up with Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin or with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin between March 12 and May 19, and instead allowed the matter to drag on for almost three months.
“Last Friday, the state government issued a statement saying it would use its own funds to buy additional vaccines.
“Why does such an important decision made on May 19 have to take two days to be announced? Is the state government taking this pandemic seriously?
Norliza said the state government also failed to deal with the federal government properly, so much so that it was willing to hide behind its former chief minister, who had made baseless allegations against the federal government.
“The failure of the state government to instruct the former chief minister to apologise on the matter, leaving the state government to apologise, clearly shows their failed leadership,” she said.
Last week, the state government revealed that it received a donation of two million doses of the Sinovac vaccine from a private company, but that the application was not approved by the MoH.
Khairy, on the other hand, claimed that the vaccine donation from an individual named Yong Chee Kong representing a Hong Kong-based private company was bogus and a scam. – The Vibes, May 24, 2021
