KUALA LUMPUR – Contradicting statements from ministries will deter migrant workers from coming forward for vaccinations under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), said the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.
Its commissioner Jerald Joseph said migrant workers are in a state of confusion over statements made by the Immigration Department and Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministry (Mosti).
“There are two different lines of instructions from the government. One is that KJ (Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin) has promised that everyone will be vaccinated in a proper health management system, and (safeguards for) human rights for everyone.
“He also said that you will be vaccinated, no matter your documentation status.
“On the other hand, Immigration director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud yesterday said it will conduct operations to arrest those without documentation,” he said.
Fear of getting caught
Jerald said the conflicting messaging does not go down well with Malaysia’s plan to achieve herd immunity.
He said it kills trust and discourages undocumented migrant workers from presenting themselves for inoculations.
“At this point, the pandemic health management framework overrides other issues and concerns. There is no urgency to arrest them (undocumented migrant workers); they have been around for so long. The urgency is to manage the pandemic.
“Do not repeat the missteps by Immigration and the Home Ministry that resulted in a huge spike in Covid-19 cases at immigration depots last year. Now, they say they (Immigration) will do another round, which will cause migrants to run and hide while Mosti is urging them to get vaccinated,” he said.
Last Saturday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said 55,000 police personnel will be mobilised during the lockdown, an increase from the current 37,000.
The additional 13,000 personnel will be deployed from various agencies under the Home Ministry.
Khairy has since said that he will meet Hamzah and they will submit a joint paper on the government's approach to vaccinate undocumented migrants.
He added that the home and human resources ministries will execute a strategic plan to ensure foreign workers come forward and get vaccinated.
Should they have been first?
Another activist, Adrian Pereira, said although migrants have been part of the community for so long, they are still being sidelined when it comes to information regarding the pandemic and vaccination process.
The North-South Initiative executive director said many Malaysians often forget that migrants live in the same environment they do and should have been included in phase one of the national vaccination programme.
“Why haven’t all migrant workers in high-risk and essential industries been vaccinated yet? If we had done this a long time ago, all these questions would not arise.
“With the implementation of a lockdown and no clear process for vaccination, this is something that is mind-boggling because it defeats the purpose,” he said.
Pressuring government
Glorene Das, executive director of human rights group Tenaganita, echoed the same sentiments, adding it is also the responsibility of employers to ensure their workers are vaccinated.
“All workers should be vaccinated immediately, regardless of their status. If workers are required to go to work, I think it is the responsibility of the employers to ensure that the workers are immediately vaccinated for both their first and second doses.
“They should not be put in the third phase (of PICK), as the government has planned,” she said.
She urged employers to put pressure on the government to give priority to the group in a show of support for their workers.
Khairy had previously announced that foreign workers in essential services will get their Covid-19 jabs soon under an industrial vaccination programme, the details of which will be out next week. – The Vibes, June 1, 2021
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