Kenyataan media oleh Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) pada 5hb Mac 2021:
Parti DAP menyokong penuh Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan secara dasarnya dan mengharapkan ia dapat diimplementasikan secepat mungkin secara efektif dan saksama untuk semua rakyat Malaysia
Kejayaan pelaksanaan Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan (PICK) adalah sesuatu yang sangat penting bukan sahaja untuk mengurangkan kejangkitan COVID-19, melindungi kesihatan rakyat, tetapi juga untuk memulihkan ekonomi negara dan kehidupan rakyat yang semakin parah.
Maka, dari pihak kami, kami membangkitkan beberapa isu utama untuk perhatian kementerian untuk memastikan kejayaan implementasi PICK ini.
(1) kami memandang serius aduan dan dakwaan terutamanya dari golongan petugas barisan hadapan tentang kejadian ‘potong barisan’ dalam proses pemberian vaksin fasa pertama. Mereka seharusnya diberikan keutamaan secara terus dan kerajaan haruslah memastikan kesemua petugas barisan hadapan yang termasuk dalam fasa pertama akan mendapatkan vaksin mereka secepat mungkin tanpa sebarang penangguhan lagi.
Kami mengalu-alukan seruan daripada Menteri Sains, Teknologi, dan Inovasi, Khairy Jamaluddin, supaya pemberi maklumat untuk tampil ke hadapan memberikan maklumat mengenai cubaan-cubaan sesetengah pihak untuk memotong barisan. Namun, kerajaan haruslah memastikan bahawa mereka yang tampil ke hadapan akan dilindungi sebaik-baiknya dari sebarang hukuman atau tindakan tatatertib.
Kami menyeru agar kerajaan bersikap telus dalam menangani isu ini dan mendedahkan mana-mana pihak yang dibuktikan terlibat dengan kejadian ‘potong barisan’ untuk diberikan pengajaran kepada yang lain. Ia adalah penting bahawa dakwaan ini tidak dibiarkan tanpa sebarang tindakan untuk menjamin keyakinan dan kepercayaan rakyat dan untuk memastikan terdapatnya kesaksamaan vaksin dan kejayaan dalam PICK.
(2) Kami berharap kerajaan akan secepat mungkin memperincikan secara spesifik kumpulan keutamaan untuk fasa kedua PICK, yang dijadualkan dibuka dalam masa kurang dari sebulan pada bulan April. Ini penting untuk mengurangkan sebarang kekeliruan dan memastikan fasa kedua berjalan secara lancar terutamanya apabila kerajaan menyasarkan kira-kira 9.4 juta orang berusia lebih 60 tahun dan mereka yang mempunyai komorbiditi, yang menghidap penyakit kronik dan berisiko tinggi mendapat gejala yang serius dari Covid-19.
Komunikasi dan koordinasi dengan pihak berkepentingan, pakar perubatan, klinik masyarakat dan rumah jagaan haruslah dipertingkatkan, untuk memastikan semua kumpulan ini tidak ketinggalan dan diberikan maklumat yang betul tentang pentingnya mendapatkan vaksin tersebut walaupun dalam keadaan kesihatan mereka.
(3) Pihak Kementerian haruslah melakarkan satu kerangka kerjasama yang komprehensif antara pihak awam dan pihak swasta untuk bersama-sama menjayakan PICK dengan lebih cepat bagi mencapai target imuniti kelompok 70%. Anggota perubatan dari sektor swasta termasuk doktor gigi juga haruslah diberikan keutamaan vaksin dalam fasa 1 kerana doktor dari klinik swasta sering kali menjadi tempat rawatan pertama bagi pesakit bergejala mahupun tidak bergejala.
(4) Penerangan yang efektif menjadi penentu kejayaan program Imunisasi ini. Satu rancangan komunikasi yang komprehensif termasuk komunikasi multi-modal, pelbagai medium, pelbagai bahasa yang agresif perlu dilaksanakan untuk memastikan setiap komuniti diberikan maklumat yang betul berdasarkan sains dan fakta untuk menangani penularan maklumat palsu berkenaan vaksin ini.
Kami dari pihak DAP juga akan memberi kerjasama dan mengembleng tenaga semua wakil-wakil rakyat kami untuk membantu dalam komunikasi strategik tentang manfaat vaksin COVID-19, membenteras fahaman anti-vaksin dan koordinasi perlaksanaan imunisasi di kawasan Parlimen dan DUN masing-masing.
Oleh itu, kami berharap pihak kerajaan akan melibatkan kami secara terus termasuk menyediakan akses kepada sumber dan data yang ada untuk mengaktifkan kaedah “whole society approach” dalam memantau dan menjayakan perlaksanaan Pelan Imunisasi Kebangsaan Covid-19.
(5) Kami juga menggesa Menteri untuk menasihati Perdana Menteri untuk menangguhkan pilihan raya sehingga lebih 70% rakyat Malaysia divaksinasi dan imuniti kelompok dicapai. Keselamatan dan kesejahteraan rakyat haruslah diutamakan di atas sebarang kepentingan politik.
Lim Guan Eng
Setiausaha Agung DAP & Ahli Parlimen Bagan
Dr. Kelvin Yii
Pengerusi, Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Kesihatan, Sains dan Inovasi
Ahli Parlimen Bandar Kuching
Dr. Ong Kian Ming
Ahli Parlimen Bangi
Steven Sim Chee Keong
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Mertajam
民主行动党在政策面上支持“全国新冠肺炎免疫计划”，也希望这个计划可以尽速有效全面落实，平等惠及全民
成功落实“全国新冠肺炎免疫计划”之所以重要，不仅是因为此计划将能有效降低新冠肺炎感染人数，保障民众健康，更重要的是，免疫计划成功落实才可以让经济复苏，拯救民生于水火之中。
有鉴于此，我们谨提出几个课题，希望相关部门多加留意，确保免疫计划可以成功。
(1) 我们非常重视前线人员针对第一期施打疫苗有人插队的投诉与指控。前线人员应该是优先获得施打疫苗的人，政府应该确保所有前线人员都能在计划第一期获得疫苗接种，没有拖延。
我们也欢迎科学、工艺与创新部长凯里的声明，若有人知晓任何插队接种疫苗的行为，请勇敢站出来提供内情。与此同时，政府也应该保护这些吹哨者，确保他们不会受到任何纪律处分。
我们谨此呼吁政府小心慎重处理此课题，公开确实插队接种的涉事单位，以儆效尤。这样的做法才可以让大众对政府有信心，相信政府不会怠慢任何投诉，大家都可以平等获得疫苗接种，也才能够确保全国新冠肺炎免疫计划的成功。
(2) 第二期全国新冠肺炎免疫计划将在四月开始，我们在此也希望政府尽快列出第二期的疫苗接种群体。此举将有效降低社会大众的疑虑，确保第二期顺利展开，尤其因为第二期疫苗接种计划的对象是940万60岁以上的人口，他们可能患有多种共病、慢性疾病，同时也是感染新冠肺炎的高风险群。
政府必须加强与所有相关单位、医药专业人士、地方诊所与老人院的沟通与协调，确保高龄人口中没有人落单，同时，也确保他们每一个人都能获得疫苗重要性的正确资讯。
(3) 有关部门也应该制定一套完整全面的公私领域合作框架，确保免疫计划进度加快，及早达到70%免疫目标。包括牙医在内的私人界医护人员也应该纳入第一期免疫计划的疫苗接种群体之中，因为不论病患有无症状，诊所医护人员常常都是第一线接触到他们的人。
(4) 政府是否有效说明、宣传此政策将会影响免疫计划的成败。政府必须拟定完整全面的沟通宣传，包括多种模式、不同媒介、多种语文，确保每一个社会群体都得到关于疫苗的正确、科学事实，也才能打击广传的假消息。
民主行动党将会配合且集党内全体民意代表之力，协助宣传接种新冠肺炎疫苗的好处，在各自选区消解反疫苗的思维，并协助疫苗接种计划的推展。
有鉴于此，我们希望政府继续与民主行动党合作，让我党也能接触到此计划相关资料与资源，启动“全社会方法”监督、落实全国新冠肺炎免疫计划。
(5) 我们也在此敦促部长谏言首相，在全国70%人口未达免疫标准，我国还没有达到群体免疫之前，不要举行选举。人民安危与福祉应该置于政治利益至上。
林冠英
峇眼国会议员
Media Statement by the Democratic Action Party (DAP) on the 5th of March, 2021:
The Democratic Action Party (DAP) fully supports the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP) and hopes that it will be implemented effectively and equitably as fast as possible for the benefit of the Malaysian people.
The success of the NCIP is something which ALL political parties in Malaysia should support as it is crucial in our efforts to reduce the infectivity of Covid-19 and to protect the health of our people. It is imperative that we have a successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program if we are to reopen the economy and start our path towards getting back to a situation where we would recognize as normal. Any actions undertaken by individuals or groups which threaten to slow down or worse yet, derail the NCIP must be taken very seriously.
That is why in our meeting with the Coordinating Minister for National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme YB Khairy Jamaluddin, we raised the following points and gave the following inputs which we believe are important to ensure a successful rollout of the programme.
Firstly, we take seriously the complaints and allegations made by front-liners of incidents of “queue-cutting” especially those allegedly involving VVIPs taking the place of front liners during the early stages of Phase 1 of the NCIP. These front liners should be given priority and the government must make sure those in Phase 1 should get their vaccination as soon as possible without any further delays.
We welcome the call by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin for whistle-blowers to come forward to report to him directly cases of queue-jumping. But there must be a more efficient way of dealing with this abuse of power other than to communicate directly with a Minister who has many things on his plate. The fact that some front-liners used social media to show examples of queue-cutters demonstrates the need for a formalized and institutionalised channel for whistle blowers to report on these queue cutters.
At the same time, we expressed our concern that the Ministry of Health issued a circular warning all of its staff not to make comments on the COVID-19 vaccination plan or post pictures on social media. It is unfair to the frontliners to call them heroes in the fight against COVID-19 one moment and then threaten to take action against them when some of their actions, borne out of frustration, is suddenly inconvenient for the authorities. We asked that these whistle blowers be given adequate protection from any form of disciplinary action especially one particular whistleblower medical officer who is being targeted by certain irresponsible quarters for her social media posts showing pictures of queue cutters. While it may not have been the right thing to share pictures of vaccine takers without their consent, one should acknowledge the pressures that the frontliners have been going through and not take a punitive approach towards these slip-ups.
At the same time, all reports of queue cutters must be investigated transparently and those proven to have “cut-queue” should be exposed in public and the necessary actions be taken against them as a lesson to all as well as to instil confidence to the public that there are no double standards in the implementation of the NCIP.
Secondly, we hope the government can quickly specify the parameters of the “Vulnerable Groups Prioritised for Covid-19 Vaccination” especially in Phase 2 of the NCIP that is scheduled to start in less than a month in April 2021. This is important to reduce any confusion that may rise as well as to make sure that Phase 2 goes on smoothly especially since the government is looking at vaccinating up to 9.4 million of people aged 60 and above and those with comorbidities, chronic disease that have higher risk to develop more severe Covid-19.
Communication and coordination with community stakeholders, from medical specialists to community clinics and care homes must be ramped up to ensure that all of these vulnerable groups are not left behind. These groups must get the right information so that they can make informed decisions based on their respective situations.
Thirdly, the Ministry must draw up a comprehensive framework to strengthen collaboration between the public sector and the private sector to ensure better success in implementation of the NCIP as well as to faster achieve our target of vaccinating 70% of our population in order to achieve herd immunity. Medical personnel in the private sector including the General Practitioners (GPs) and Private Dentist must be prioritised even in Phase 1 of the NCIP as they are often the first point of care for patients with symptoms of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) – the most common symptoms in patients infected with Covid-19.
Fourthly, effective and strategic communications is important in determining the success of the NCIP. That is why a comprehensive confidence campaign which includes multi-modal communications on multiple mediums and languages must be carried out aggressively to ensure that every community is given the right information based on science and facts to counter the spread of misinformation and fake news with regards to the vaccine. We are appreciative of the NCIP materials being produced in four languages (BM, English, Chinese and Tamil) and we thank the Minister for acknowledging a recent effort by two MPs (Steven and Kelvin) and Dr. SK Khor to have an online event where the vaccination program was explained in Hokkien. We look forward to more of these NCIP related explanations in other dialects such as Cantonese and Hakka and also in Tamil and Iban.
We as DAP will give our full cooperation including mobilising our elected representatives to help share important and accurate information on the benefits of the NCIP and to counter wrong and misleading information about the vaccines through the different channels we have access to – social media, whatsapp, SOP compliant events, just to name a few. We also stand ready to deploy our resources to help residents in our respective constituencies to use the MySejahtera App to register to take the vaccine through mobile service centers, for example.
Given the need for a bipartisan approach to fight this pandemic, we hope that the Federal Government will include all the MPs as well as ADUNs in each state in a more direct and institutionalized manner as part of the “whole of society” approach to ensure the successful rollout of the NCIP in all four phases. We ask for the provision of adequate resources as well as access to data so that we can play our part effectively in the NCIP rollout.
Finally, we also urged the Minister to strongly advice the Prime Minister to not call for a general election until at least 70% of the population is vaccinated and herd immunity is achieved in our country. To call for a general election before herd immunity is achieved is huge public health risk as we saw from the Sabah by-elections experience. The health and economic well-being of the people must be prioritised over politics.
We thank the Minister for his promise that this bipartisan dialogue and discussion will be an ongoing one, throughout the rollout of the NCIP.
Lim Guan Eng
Secretary General of the DAP and Member of Parliament for Bagan
Dr. Kelvin Yii
Chairman, Special Select Committee on Health, Science and Innovation
MP for Bandar Kuching
Dr. Ong Kian Ming
MP for Bangi
Steven Sim Chee Keong
MP for Bukit Mertajam