Frontliners are a priority, leaders are not, says Sabah minister on vaccines

 

Sabah minister says he will leave it to the health ministry to decide whether state leaders should also be part of the first phase of the vaccination. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: More than 39,000 frontliners are first in line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes available in Sabah.

State local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun said the government estimates that there are 39,100 frontliners in Sabah.

He said, as for state leaders, the government will leave it to the health ministry to decide whether they should also be part of the first phase of the vaccination.

“That is the ministry’s call, we don’t want to say leaders should be in the priority list,” he said, during his Covid-19 briefing today.

“To me the priority are the frontliners at hospitals and in the field, followed by senior citizens.”

Meanwhile, Masidi said the government is in the midst of identifying the number of students eligible to receive devices to enable them to take part in the online teaching programme from home (PdPR).

When asked about claims from netizens that celebrity preacher and philanthropist Ebit Lew had already provided such gadgets to students in Sabah, he said the government welcomed all assistance to lessen the burden of the people.

“If it’s true then we say ‘thank you’ (to Ebit). I hope other big companies or individuals capable of helping will carry out their own CSRs (corporate social responsibilities),” he said.

He noted that, unlike personal funds, there is red tape when it comes to government allocations.

“It’s not like we announce something today and tomorrow we can get the funds. But the government will carry out its own responsibility while welcoming others to assist as well.

“The question is not who’s first but who can help,” Masidi said.

Yesterday, chief minister Hajiji Noor said the Sabah government will consider providing educational assistance, including gadgets, to underprivileged students.

Hajiji said the state was aware of the problems students were facing, particularly with the implementation of the PdPR under the movement control order (MCO).

Masidi said the state government together with the Sabah education department are currently trying to establish the quantity and types of devices needed. - FMT