Are politicians' lives more important than others, asks PKR rep on vaccination plan

 

A PKR lawmaker did not mince words in criticising the plan to prioritise lawmakers for the Covid-19 vaccine.

Apart from describing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's justification as “utter nonsense”, Gooi Hsiao Leung (above) also denounced the move as “unethical, indecent and downright wrong”.

He said the government should stick to the three phases of vaccination - Phase 1 for frontliners and medical health workers working in high-risk environments, Phase 2 for the vulnerable group, the elderly aged 65 and above and those with medical conditions, and Phase 3 for the rest of the adult population above the age of 18.

“While it is acceptable for senior government officials such as the prime minister, health minister, chief ministers and even the parliamentary opposition leader to be given vaccination priority - so as to prevent any risk of major disruption in running the country during this time of national health crisis - why should all elected representatives regardless of their age or health status be given blanket special preferential treatment?

“If it is the intention of the government to promote public confidence in the vaccines and follow official protocols, then shouldn't His Majesty, our king and all the rulers be vaccinated first before our prime minister?

“The prime minister's explanation that elected representatives, because of the nature of their work as politicians, often have to meet the rakyat at the grassroots level, and therefore somehow deserve special treatment and vaccine protection ahead of others is utter nonsense,” he added.

The Bukit Tengah assemblyperson pointed out that retail workers and bus drivers, among others, also come into contact with hordes of people daily but have to wait their turn to be vaccinated.

“Is the prime minister saying that their lives are less important than politicians who get to jump the vaccination queue?

“As elected representatives, we can still carry on with our daily responsibilities just like everyone else by strictly following the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Just don't flout the SOP rules.

“The priority right now must be to get whatever supply of vaccines we can get a hold of, into the arms of doctors and nurses who are risking their lives for us,” he added.

By allowing lawmakers to jump the queue, Gooi charged that Muhyiddin is not promoting public confidence or gaining public trust in the government’s national vaccination plan.

“I call on the prime minister to review his blanket decision for all MPs and state assemblypersons to be given priority in the Covid-19 vaccination over others,” he added. - Mkini