KUCHING, June 2: The Ministry of Education (MoE) should not be an obstacle but allow primary schools to be used as vaccination centres in Kapit.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said the Kapit Resident has been applying to turn primary schools in Kapit into vaccination centres, but to no avail.
“The way forward to fight Covid-19 is vaccination. SDMC (State Disaster Management Committee) is correct. There is no other way.
“But MoE is blocking the way. They are stopping Vaccination Centres (VC) from using primary schools in Kapit Division.
“The Resident there has been asking for permission to use primary schools in Kapit, but until today there has been no reply,” said Masing in a statement today.
He believed that if those from the Education Department in Sarawak could not see the point, Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin must intervene.
“If MoE becomes an obstacle, then the Minister must tell those making decisions in Sarawak not to be obstinate. We need the support of all agencies in fighting Covid-19,” said the Baleh assemblyman.
Masing also took the opportunity to express the view that no matter how willingly Sarawak is in preparing more VC such as private hospitals and clinics, it would be useless if the vaccines promised are not forthcoming.
“The use of private hospitals and clinics as VC is honourable. But it would be useless if there are no vaccines,” he said.
Meanwhile, he also advocated for Malaysians to be given the choice to opt for the vaccine they deem best for them.
“We should use Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Cansino or Johnson & Johnson vaccines — those approved by the WHO (World Health Organisation). Let Malaysians pick and choose which vaccines they want and not the Malaysian government,” said Masing. — DayakDaily
