Tawau MP calls on federal govt to boost Sabah's vaccine supply

 

Tawau MP Christina Liew has expressed hope that Sabah's requests for new stocks of Covid-19 vaccines will be addressed swiftly, following the appointment of a new Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ismail Sabri Yaakob and new Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Hishammuddin Hussein.

The Tawau MP said the Sabah government had requested the federal government to increase the supply of vaccines to Sabah immediately to meet the target of administering 30,000 vaccine shots a day.

"We hope the federal government will keep its promise to deliver 140,000 doses of vaccines to Sabah every week. Thousands of people have yet to receive their first dose despite having registered for vaccination months ago.

"These include tourism stakeholders, industrial workers, e-hailing drivers, food delivery riders and other frontliners, not to mention those who are awaiting their second dose vaccination.

"Give us the much-needed vaccines as soon as possible," she said in a statement today.

Sabah has experienced 559 deaths out of the 6,067 fatalities in Malaysia.

While at the beginning of the third wave last September, it was the worst-hit state in the country, its current total of active cases is 3,169 out of 84,021 nationwide.

Liew, who is also Api Api assemblyperson, said she learned that more than 16,000 vaccine doses had just been transported to Tawau but were intended solely for second dose vaccination.

"So what about the thousands of residents there who have yet to receive their appointment schedule for first dose vaccination? How long more do they have to wait, knowing that the Covid-19 threat is in our midst?" she asked.

"In the Sabah context, the federal government must look at the people's needs from the state's perspective, without imposing policies that may be impractical," added Liew.

The PKR representative went on to back the state government's decision to allow dine-ins at eateries in Sabah, in defiance of the national SOP.

"Commendation to the government for its consistency in maintaining a standard operating procedure (SOP) which, we feel, is more empathetic to the small business sector.

"This will clear the air of uncertainty among operators of coffee shops and restaurants, including those in hotels, who need breathing space to survive economically," Liew said.

Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor has insisted that the state will allow dine-in during the lockdown against Covid-19.

Sabah moved into Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan yesterday, but under Phase 2 of the plan drafted by the federal government, more businesses may open but dine-in is still not allowed.

However, Hajiji was insistent that dine-in would be allowed in the state.

"This is our position," he said in a brief statement issued by the Sabah government. - Mkini