KJ: Vaccination for Parliament staff starts today in preparation for sitting

 

Authorities have started vaccinating Parliament staff today in expectation that it would be allowed to reconvene soon.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the initiative involved some 400 employees who work on the premises, including sanitary and catering staff.

"This serves as a preparation for the reopening of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, which we expect to be in the near future.

"We want the staff to be given the appropriate health protection to prevent the spread of Covid-19," he told a virtual press conference this afternoon.

Khairy is also the minister in charge of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) and co-chairs the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply together with Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.

Khairy added that MPs have been told that their staff, who would be accompanying them to the August house, are also eligible to get vaccinated under the initiative.

"We are hoping that when the Parliament reconvenes, we will have a fully vaccinated Parliament," he said.

For the record, parliamentarians have received their Covid-19 immunisation during the first phase of the NIP which started in February.

The Parliament was last convened in December last year. It had been suspended by the government following the proclamation of emergency on Jan 11.

However, calls had mounted for the Perikatan Nasional government to reopen the house and allow MPs to debate issues pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergency, among others.

This included repeated calls by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had expressed his view that the Parliament should reconvene as soon as possible. - Mkini