By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, March 29: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii urges the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to be transparent on the state immunisation programme and priortise media as frontliners to be jabbed with the Covid-19 vaccine.
Dr Yii in a statement today said the media played an important role in the dissemination of information from the government to the public and was disappointed that only 13 media personnel were vaccinated in the first phase of the immunisation programme.
“Currently, the media also must attend functions and press conferences physically thus also increasing the risk of possible infection.
“That is why it is crucial for the media – especially those in the field – to be among the first few inoculated against Covid-19.
“As we are approaching Phase 2 and the government has mentioned that they will also prioritise certain “economic frontliners” I urge that the media is prioritised as well as we roll out Phase 2 of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP),” he said.
Dr Yii said the media personnel fulfilled the two main criteria of vaccination based on the nature of their job.
Thus, he believed that the media fraternity is considered one of the high risk groups of being infected and transmitting Covid-19 as they are active in the community.
Hence, Dr Yii, who is also a member of Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak urged SDMC to take the lead even if it is contrary to federal guidelines especially when it claims to have the autonomy and authority in view of the increasing Covid-19 cases in Sarawak and high asymptomatic carriers.
“They should prioritise the essential role played by journalists — a role that cannot be performed without physically engaging in the communities they serve, regardless of the risk,” he added.
In the meantime, Dr Yii also called on the state government to reduce public events and physical press conferences until all those involved are protected and the Covid-19 cases in the State are under controlled. — DayakDaily
