What about Penang, MP asks on vaccine procurement - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim has questioned why Putrajaya has yet to approve Penang’s application to procure its own Covid-19 vaccines, made over three months ago.

This follows the announcement by Sarawak’s assistant public health and housing minister, Dr Annuar Rapaee, that the state will receive 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine within one week, and another 500,000 doses after that.

Sim said the Penang government has not received any feedback on its application to procure 2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine for its residents, which was put in on Feb 15.

“Is this because of political differences between the federal government and the Penang government?” he asked in a statement this morning.

Previously, the minister coordinating the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, had said the government is not stopping state governments from procuring their own vaccine supply.

Several opposition leaders, including PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, have accused the government of stonewalling state governments in their attempts to purchase vaccines for their citizens.

Sim said the vaccine supply issue remains one of the largest problems in the national immunisation programme, noting that many from the high-risk group have not received their vaccination appointments despite coming under Phase 2 of the programme.

“This is not the time for politicking. The government must work together with all parties, including state governments, without considering political differences to succeed in the fight against Covid-19,” he said.