MIRI – MyKad holders in Sarawak’s hinterlands will be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccination as they are confirmed citizens, said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau.
Those without identity documents need to wait for MyKad holders to get their jab first, and must be accompanied by their village chiefs, who can confirm their status, when they show up at vaccination centres (PPVs).
Ngau told The Vibes today that Health Department teams are to give No. 1 priority to MyKad holders due to the need to account for the number of vaccine doses administered.
“The vaccines must be given to MyKad holders first, as they are confirmed Malaysian citizens. Sarawakians without the document must wait until all MyKad holders have been vaccinated.
“If there are excess doses, these will be given to natives without MyKad. Those who don’t have MyKad or other documents to show that they are citizens must be accompanied by their village chiefs, who can verbally confirm that they are indeed locals.
“This is to ensure citizens are accorded priority. Furthermore, health teams must have a proper registration system, as they have to account for each dose dispensed.
“They are not rejecting Sarawakians without MyKad, but prioritising confirmed citizens due to limited vaccine supply.”
Ngau said he recently visited PPVs, including the Long Bedian clinic in the interior, and that he told foreign workers keen to get the jab that Malaysians are the government’s priority.
When it was pointed out that many Sarawakians do not possess MyKad and may miss out on inoculation if there is insufficient vaccine supply for walk-ins, the rep acknowledged that the matter is of urgent concern.
“I have spoken to state Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas about this. He said the committee will hold a meeting to discuss this issue.
“There will be a viable solution found, because we also need to vaccinate those without MyKad, as they, too, are at risk of contracting Covid-19 and infecting others.”
Ngau’s comments come after the Baram People’s Action Committee (BPAC) said some natives without MyKad did not get vaccinated when they showed up at the Long San clinic as walk-ins.
Walk-ins, without first registering via MySejahtera, are in full swing in rural Sarawak areas, but those without identity documents are barred from getting the jab, said BPAC chairman Philip Jau.
He told The Vibes yesterday that his organisation was informed by natives that they were prevented from getting vaccinated at the said clinic.
“These native farmers told us that when they arrived at the Long San clinic, they were barred from entering by those at the counter because they had no identity cards.
“If this is going to be the normal procedure, there will be tens of thousands of Sarawakians who won’t get vaccinated as they don’t have a birth certificate and identity card.”
It is estimated that at least 60,000 Sarawakians do not have a MyKad.
Many were born in remote settlements and their parents failed to register their birth with the National Registration Department (NRD), whose offices are located in towns and cities.
Jau has appealed to the state Health Department for leniency.
“Please allow those without an identity card to receive the vaccine, too, or else, they can be easily infected. Among those still without these cards are many Penan. Many of their settlements are seeing the swift spread of infections.
“Dozens of Penan have been infected. One has already died of Covid-19.”
The vaccination of rural Sarawak folk is in high gear, with the virus fight taking on greater urgency in the interior.
“The Sarawak Health Department’s move to use the ‘inject first, register later’ method is greatly facilitating vaccination in rural communities, but sadly, those without MyKad are denied the vaccine,” said Jau.
Ngau said this is a reminder of the importance of having one’s documents in order.
“NRD has gone on numerous mobile rounds to register people in my constituency without a birth certificate or MyKad, but sadly, there are many who continue to miss the opportunity to do so.
“It is so important to have personal identity documents that can prove we are citizens.”
The state public communications unit has said the vaccination programme in the remote northern Sarawak enclaves of Bario, Long San, Long Bedian and Mulu is proceeding well.
Ngau and Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala are happy with the “inject first, register later” approach.
“This method is helping a lot. It eases the movement of people, and prevents overcrowding and long waits,” said Ngau.
Gala said besides the Long San clinic, the Bario, Mulu and Long Bedian clinics, too, are administering doses.
“We are getting more villagers to come. It is proceeding very well.”
The need to vaccinate rural residents became more pressing following the death of a Penan housewife from Long Luteng due to the disease, and an outbreak involving three dozen Penan in Long Win and Long Lamai over the last few days.
Sarawak has seen 373 coronavirus fatalities and over 58,000 infections to date. – The Vibes, June 19, 2021
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