PN can’t just expect the rakyat to have internet access or come in person to register!

The ADUN for Kapayan, Jannie Lasimbang voiced out her concerns regarding the low Covid-19 vaccine registration rates in Sabah, especially when there are certain quarters that are making provocations about the vaccine. In a statement released last Friday (26 March 2021), Jannie said that only 7 million people have registered for Covid-19 vaccination in Malaysia, with Sabah recording the lowest registration.

According to the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), the statistics for Sabah as of 25 March 2021 is as per below:

• Only 10.6% of Sabahans have registered for the vaccine.
• Only 41,738 people in Sabah have been inoculated with the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

For the record, the estimated population for Sabah is approximately 4 million people. However, this figure does not take into consideration the large population of undocumented people which could range anywhere from 100 to 300 thousands.

Previously, the MP for Sandakan, Vivian Wong Shir Yee raised a similar concern whereby the Perikatan Nasional (PN) Federal Government seems to not have a clear strategy to vaccinate and protect Sabah against the Covid-19 virus. With more than 4 million de facto population, close to 3.5 million people in Sabah must be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.

Considering the low registration numbers in Sabah, the government’s proposed decision to impose a registration deadline in June this year would mean that many Sabahans will be left out from receiving the vaccine. In regards to this, the Kapayan ADUN asserted,

“While it is understandable that the registration process cannot be open-ended, it is also impractical to have a short and sudden deadline.“

The DAP lawmaker further clarified that one of the reasons for the low Covid-19 vaccine registration rate in Sabah is due to the lack of internet coverage in the rural and suburban areas of the state. This proved to be a huge obstacle considering the main platform for registration is through the MySejahtera application which requires internet access.

Therefore, Jannie calls upon the government to consider other platforms aside from online registration or the expectation that the public to come in person to register for the vaccine, when the places are not easily accessible for them to travel to.

Besides that, Jannie also urged the Sabah government and the Ministry of Health (MOH) to put more effort in creating awareness to allay fears on the Covid-19 vaccine. Furthermore, the process of selection and vaccination schedule should also be better communicated to those who have already registered and are waiting for MOH to respond.

The ADUN for Kapayan stressed,

“I also urge the Sabah government and local authorities (PBT) to push forward Jawatan Pembangunan Kemajuan Keselamatan Kampung (JPKK) and the Jawatan Kuasa Kemajuan Dalam Bandar (JKDB) to help residents register to be vaccinated and support the government’s efforts in enrolling the public for the vaccine.”

Vaccines do more than protect the vaccinated person, it also protects everyone around them. The more people in a community who are immunized and protected from COVID-19, the harder it is for COVID-19 to spread. Together we play a role in ensuring that the country is immediately free from Covid-19. – The Rocket.