KUCHING, July 1: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is looking into expediting the Covid-19 vaccination for Sarawakian athletes currently based in Peninsular Malaysia through private hospitals or clinics.
He said many Sarawakian athletes and trainers who are staying in Peninsular Malaysia have yet to receive their share of vaccines and their turn might come too late or even after the locals of the states they are in have completed their vaccination.
“The issue now is that a lot of Sarawak’s athletes including the players of the Sarawak United (Football Club) and those preparing for Sukma (Malaysian Games) are based in Peninsular Malaysia at the moment.
“How should we get them vaccinated? Because we know that the general vaccination programme is not as aggressive as that in Sarawak.
“So, I will discuss with the Sarawak Sports Corporation as to how we can solve this issue, and my hope is to bring it to the private level because I was made to understand that in Peninsular Malaysia, many private hospitals and clinics were certified to administer the Covid-19 vaccination,” he said in a recorded video released on a social media post today.
Abdul Karim, who is also the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said if this plan goes well, the vaccines could reach these athletes through private health facilities that are nearby.
With that, he said, the athletes could then undergo training at ease and without the worry of contracting the virus as a few of them have tested positive before.
“I know several of them had contracted Covid-19 before including some of the trainers. At least with the vaccination, it will not be as serious even if they are infected,” he added. — DayakDaily
