KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (July 1): According to Bangi Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Ong Kian Ming, there is a need to prioritize Covid-19 immunization for factories and businesses in Selangor in order to reduce the number and severity of Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley and nationwide. In a statement issued today, Ong — who is also a member of the Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 (STFCPrevention )’s of Outbreak at Ignition Sites (POIS) committee — said that the number of cases in Selangor is likely to remain high for another few weeks for a variety of reasons, including the possible spread of the more infectious Delta variant and continued infection of workers via contaminated equipment.
As a result, he believes that the Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) at the federal level and the Selangor Vaccination Programme (SELVAX) at the state level should run concurrently, so that workers at factories and construction sites can be vaccinated more effectively, reducing the number and severity of transmissions in the Klang Valley.
“When the number of cases in the Klang Valley is reduced, we will be able to attain the’magical’ figure of below 4,000 Covid-19 cases, which will allow the economy to open in Phase 2 under the National Recovery Plan (NRP). We can save the entire country by preserving Selangor “He expressed his opinion.
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Ong went on to say that two million doses of SELVAX had been made aside for one million workers in Selangor’s SELVAX program, which covered manufacturing, construction, retail, and other industries.
“Because of the high percentage of foreign employees, many of whom live in confined conditions, the industrial and construction sectors should be prioritized. Industrial and construction zones with a high number of Covid-19 cases in the last two months, such as those in the Hulu Langat, Petaling, and Klang districts, should be prioritized.
“These vaccination programs should take place in industrial zones or nearby to minimize travel for the workers,” he said, “because there is a fear that undocumented workers will be targeted by immigration authorities, and the risk is higher when they venture farther from their workplaces and lodging quarters.”
Due to the high number of workers in the manufacturing and construction sectors in Selangor, Ong believes that the PIKAS program, which is focused on vaccinating workers in the manufacturing sector and is run by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), should run concurrently with the SELVAX industry vaccination program.
“To date, the Setia Alam Convention Centre and the Shah Alam Convention Centre have been designated as PIKAS venues in Selangor. In Selangor, the number of PIKAS sites should be increased, and they should be positioned in or near industrial and construction zones “Added he.
According to him, the PIKAS vaccination drive costs around RM90 (to cover the administration fee for two doses; vaccinations are provided free by the federal government), whereas the SELVAX industrial program costs about RM350 for two doses.
As a result, the Bangi MP suggested that MITI focus the PIKAS program on small and medium firms (SMEs), which are less able to pay as much as major multinational corporations.
“I highly urge MITI and the STFC (together with SELangkah and POIS) to meet to discuss the industrial vaccination program’s future strategy in Selangor, especially since a bigger amount of vaccines will be accessible in July and August. I stand ready to promote this dialogue between MITI and the necessary government agencies and lawmakers in Selangor as a former deputy minister of MITI and a current member of the POIS committee,’ he added.
Ong quoted Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari as saying that manufacturing accounted for 81 percent of active clusters in the state, while construction accounted for 11 percent.
He added that the picture was even evident at the national level, since 199, or 36.6 percent, of the 325 new factory clusters identified during the movement control order (MCO) 3.0 in May were in Selangor or associated to Selangor.
Ong went on to say that out of the 10,802 positive cases found in factories across the country during MCO 3.0, 4,891 (or 45.3 percent) were in Selangor. This, he explained, was due to the fact that Selangor had more factories and workers per industry than other states.
Malaysia saw 6,276 new Covid-19 infections yesterday (June 30), with Selangor accounting for 2,836 of them./n
