Kelantan health exco Dr Izani Husin wants the Health Ministry to take action if any of its officers had spread allegations that 200 members of the state’s secretary office are jumping the queue to receive the Covid-19 vaccination.
Izani said the queue-jumping allegation was false and had tarnished the Kelantan government's image.
"The Health Ministry should strengthen their administrative system, and take action against officers who may have strayed a little from the rules and procedures.
"This needs to be investigated as it has soiled the state government's good name. When the Kelantan government, which is labelled as a Muslim state is besmirched by this... this needs to be taken seriously," he told the media in Kota Bharu today.
Izani added that the state government will be lodging a police report over the claims.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that the Kelantan Health Department and the state government had rearranged the list of those who will be among the earliest to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the Kota Darulnaim Complex, Kota Bharu, today.
A source familiar with the matter said the list might have been rearranged after allegations surfaced of individuals "skipping queues" ahead of frontliners for the Covid-19 vaccine.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had also called for whistleblowers to come forward amid more complaints of alleged attempts to jump the queue for the Covid-19 vaccine.
He said this in response to consultant physician and nephrologist Dr Rafidah Abdullah who highlighted complaints that officials from the Kelantan state secretariat were trying to do so.
Malaysiakini previously also highlighted complaints from staff at Serdang Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they could face disciplinary action, about a proposal to prioritise hospital administrators and influencers but the Health Ministry dismissed this as "fake news".
Since then, this news portal had received two more similar complaints, one related to the Kelantan state secretariat as highlighted by Rafidah and another in Penang involving senior district officials.
"I view this queue-jumping issue seriously. I have informed the matter to Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah to ensure no queue-jumping.
"Whistleblowers can email anonymously directly to me at kj@mosti.gov.my and I will investigate," Khairy said on Twitter.
Kelantan vaccinated 48 people, starting with Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob earlier today.
Also vaccinated was Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Abdullah, the state exco, state police chief Shafien Mamat, and other frontliners.
They all received the Pfizer vaccine.
Ahmad said 21,645 frontliners in Kelantan will be vaccinated under phase 1 of the vaccination programme.
Of this, 1,416 will be inoculated this week. - Mkini
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