KUCHING, June 24: As loyal and true Malaysians, one should back the Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) governments in their objection against the hoarding of Covid-19 vaccines by rich countries, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
Masing voiced support and agreement to Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin’s statement when he said such a phenomenon was a “health menace” and a “sign of bullying”.
He also pointed out that the coronavirus did not originate from poor nations, but from the second richest country in the world — China.
“Therefore, China and the other developed nations must be willing to share their expertise and resources to assist the under-developed countries to fight Covid-19.
“Unless these rich countries are willing to share their expertise and stop hoarding vaccines to contain Covid-19 in ravaging the lives and economy of the poor nations, the assumption that the rich (countries) intend to maintain world domination (remains true),” he said in a statement today.
Noting that it may sound too far-fetched, he reminded everyone of the obstacles Malaysia had to face in the last few months in acquiring sufficient vaccine doses.
Masing, who is also Minister for Infrastructure and Ports Development, thus urged these countries to not be one of the obstacles in the global war against the deadly virus.
Yesterday (June 23) at a special virtual address, Khairy said the hoarding of Covid-19 vaccines by rich or industrialised countries was immoral and the move had failed to meet the expectation of respectable and responsible global leadership.
Calling for the World Bank to be a strong voice for developing countries for global vaccine equity, he said donations that Malaysia will be receiving from these advanced countries would not compensate the happenings over the past few months concerning the vaccine market.
He also noted the need for renewed solidarity and urgency to narrow vaccine equity gaps that are leaving low and middle-income countries behind.
It was recently reported by Amnesty International that the richest countries had effected a near-monopoly of the world’s supply of Covid-19 vaccines leaving countries with the fewest resources to face the worst health and human rights outcomes.
Malaysia, in the meantime, is sourcing vaccines from several producers in China, Europe, United States and Russia to inoculate a target of 80 per cent of its population expectedly by August. — DayakDaily
