Vaccinate cleaners, garbage collectors and guards first, says MP

 

A DAP MP says garbage collectors and cleaners are ‘frontliners’ who are highly exposed to infection. 

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has asked the government whether it has plans to vaccinate cleaners and security guards under Phase 4 of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

Calling them the “neglected frontliners”, Lim said cleaners, garbage collectors and security guards are highly exposed to infection because of the nature of their work.

“Their contributions to our country are irreplaceable and to call them ‘unsung heroes’ is not an exaggeration.

“Street cleaners are constantly in touch with household waste such as face masks, while guards are always in contact with the general public at malls or residential areas,” he said in a statement.

The three-term MP said these groups of workers need to be given attention.

“The earlier they are inoculated, the less risk they pose in spreading the virus in the neighbourhoods they work,” he said.

Yesterday, the minister coordinating the programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, said the government would start vaccinating workers in critical economic sectors under phase 4 of the programme, beginning from June 16.

He said they comprised those in the manufacturing, export, logistics, transportation, energy, utilities and related sectors. - FMT