[UPDATED] Many Malaysians in Indonesia still unvaccinated, claims Zunar

KUALA LUMPUR – Many Malaysians residing in Indonesia have yet to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations due to bureaucratic red tape, claims political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque.

Zulkiflee, popularly known as Zunar, alleged on his official “Zunar Cartoonist Fanclub” Facebook account that some Malaysians in the neighbouring country had waited up to four months to be given the jabs.

He claims they had yet to receive any news on appointments, although Malaysian citizens were required to head to the embassy there to receive their vaccinations.

Zunar also claims the Malaysian mission there “did not function”, while saying that Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin “did not care” about the issue.

The controversial cartoonist attributed the claim to a housewife who goes by the name Aida, and who reached out to his fan club lamenting her experience of submitting enquiries and pleas to the Malaysian government, which have allegedly fallen on deaf ears.

Zunar said Aida was disappointed with the attitudes of officials at the embassy, as she had relentlessly attempted to contact them over the past four months.

“According to Aida, a multitude of excuses were given by the embassy staff, although she tried to contact them through WhatsApp, phone calls, and Facebook chat,” Zunar said.

The woman had also reportedly reached out to the Malaysian Health Ministry and its Covid-19 taskforce, the prime minister’s office, and the Foreign Ministry – but responses were minimal.

Zunar’s fan page shared screenshots of several enquiries purportedly made, including a direct message to Khairy on his Instagram account.

One of the few responses she apparently received was from the prime minister’s office, which said her complaint would be brought up to the relevant authorities.

“The result is that she, along with many other Malaysians residing in Indonesia, ha been refused their right to obtain the vaccines.”

In September last year, chargé d’affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, Adlan Mohd Shaffieq, said Malaysians with the Temporary Stay Permit Card (Kitas) and Permanent Stay Permit Card (Kitap) can apply for the Covid-19 vaccine from Indonesia’s Health Minister.

He said alternatively, the Malaysian embassy had also held a discussion with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to have an alternative way to obtain vaccinations, but it came with a fee.

The Vibes was able to contact Aida, who declined to reveal her full name.

In a brief conversation, Aida told The Vibes that there were at least 30 Malaysians facing a similar predicament. She said the group members do not know each other personally but have been in contact via a messaging app.

Aida, who has been living in Jakarta since December 2020, said she is in the country on a visitor pass and does not have either Kitas or Kitap status. 

She said due to the pandemic, the Indonesian government allowed those with visitor passes to extend their stay in the republic.

She said although Indonesia did not have a contact tracing system which requires people to check in at premises, she feels fearful when leaving the house.

Aida also said that she, along with her Indonesian husband, had contracted Covid-19 in January 2021.

“I feel frustrated that our minister is pushing for booster shots, but people like me are ignored,” she said.

The Vibes have reached out to Wisma Putra for a response to the allegations.

Summarising her ordeal, Aida claimed she was finally given a form by the embassy which contained an agreement for her to pay Rp800,000 (RM230) for two doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Despite that, she claims there was still no response after she filled in and submitted the form.

Upon checking with Kadin officials, Aida claims that the chamber had not received any application from the embassy for the alternative vaccination initiative. – The Vibes, February 3, 2022

This article has been updated to include remarks made by Aida