KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 1,993 teachers have refused to take the Covid-19 vaccination, citing religious grounds, disapproving partners or they are not ready, said Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin.
Meanwhile, the remaining 760 are not jabbed due to chronic illness, allergies, pregnancy or currently breastfeeding, planning for a baby, or being a recent Covid-19 patient, he said in a reply to Dewan Negara on Wednesday.
He said that school administrators will continue to speak to the teachers to coax them into taking the jab, adding that 399,972 (96.8%) teachers in Malaysia have been vaccinated as of Wednesday. – The Vibes, October 22, 2021
He was responding to a question by senator Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol on the government’s plans to make Covid-19 vaccine jabs compulsory for teachers.
Teachers come under the purview of the Public Service Department (PSD).
According to a PSD statement on Tuesday, federal civil servants who fail to complete Covid-19 vaccination will be subject to disciplinary action or termination of service when the new policy is implemented on November 1 onwards.
The matter is stated in Service Circular No 4/ 2021 on the Covid-19 Immunisation Implementation Policy for Federal Public Service Officers.
“On or after November 1, 2021, any officer who fails to comply with the head of department’s instructions may face disciplinary action or termination of service,” the circular stated, which was uploaded on the PSD website.
Meanwhile, officers who cannot complete their Covid-19 vaccine doses due to health factors may be instructed to undergo medical check-ups with registered medical practitioners.
They may also be instructed by department heads to undergo a Covid-19 test if they have been confirmed unfit to receive the vaccination for health reasons.
Meanwhile, department heads are allowed to use appropriate methods to manage officers who have not completed their vaccination, including instructing the officers to undergo Covid-19 screening at their own expense.
However, the government will pay the cost of Covid-19 tests for those who are not eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccination due to health reasons.
The PSD announced in a statement on September 30 that all federal civil servants are required to be fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus before November 1. – The Vibes, October 22, 2021
