KUALA LUMPUR – The Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (Pikas), aimed at ramping up vaccinations in the manufacturing sector, will be launched today.
The initative, announced on June 12, will be launched in Selangor, witnessed by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Azmin, in a statement, said participating workers will not be burdened with extra costs.
“The vaccines are free, and employers will bear the administrative cost of vaccination. They are not allowed to deduct the amount from employees’ salaries.”
The government will ramp up its inoculation drive in the three months including June to attain herd immunity in line with the National Recovery Plan announced yesterday.
The International Trade and Industry Ministry said apart from Selangor, vaccinations for employees in the manufacturing sector will also be initiated in Penang and Johor, focusing on critical sub-sectors that are part of the supply chain for essential products and services amid the lockdown.
“Pikas is being implemented in response to calls from industry associations, business chambers of commerce, and small and medium enterprises to help accelerate vaccinations for the people, particularly employees, to achieve herd immunity.
“This is imperative to protect workers from Covid-19 and reduce the number of workplace clusters. The implementation of Pikas is crucial to safeguard workers as they constitute a critical component of the economy.” – Bernama, June 16, 2021
