Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 2.8.2021:
Penang Is Being Left Behind With 21.7% Of The Adult Population Vaccinated, Ranked No. 10 Out Of 14 States Receiving The 2 Full Vaccination Doses.
Penang is being left behind with 21.7% of the adult population vaccinated, and ranked No. 10 out of the 14 states receiving the 2 full vaccination doses as at 31.7.2021. With the daily infections from Penang hitting a record 752 cases on 1 August, there is a need to speed up the vaccination process as the most effective protection against COVID-19 apart from complying with the SOPs.
The rise in daily infections as well as deaths in Penang has heightened fear and intensified demands for faster vaccination. I have received many complaints about the slow vaccination process, with many unhappy of not receiving vaccination appointments even though they had registered since February. Can the RM70 million allocated for the MySejahtera software application not give vaccination appointments first to those that register earlier instead of those that register later?
When going door-to-door to distribute food parcels, many hope for the economy to reopen for them to be allowed to work again or operate their business to earn a living. A quicker vaccination rate would allow the economy to reopen faster. Even though the National Immunisation Programme (PICK) is under the purview of the federal government, the public has urged PH elected representatives to vigorously pursue with the Federal government to increase the vaccination rate.
The Penang state government has decided not to purchase vaccines and choose to rely on PICK instead to achieve herd immunity in the state. The Federal government should respond to the faith entrusted by the state government to ensure early delivery of vaccines, and not let Penang be left behind until Penang is No. 10 out of 14 states in Malaysia in full dosage vaccination rate.
One suggestion is to set up an Operation Surge Capacity or OSC similar to Klang Valley and appoint a Penang MP acceptable to both the state and federal government to co-ordinate the vaccination exercise smoothly. Former Deputy Minister for International Trade and Industry and DAP MP for Bangi Dr Ong Kian Ming was so appointed as the OSC coordinator for the Klang Valley.
Penang is the top three contributor of tax revenues and key export regions for Malaysia and is the only industrialised state in the country with 95% of GDP coming from the manufacturing and services sector. We hope that the relevant authorities can take pro-active measures to speed up vaccination to save lives and livelihood.
Herd immunity should be achieved through inoculation. More than 80% of COVID-19 cases in Penang are those unvaccinated. According to the Penang Health Department, the unvaccinated made up 83% of the total number of cases on 28 July, 82% on 29 July, 79% on 30 July and 80% on 31 July. Vaccination needs to be speeded up to lower the risk to those infected. With the high infection rates, herd immunity may be achieved through both inoculation and infection.
LIM GUAN ENG
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2021年8月2日在槟城发表的文告：
槟城的疫苗接种率落后他州，共计21.7%成人人口完成接种两剂新冠疫苗，在14个州和地区中排行第10。
截至今年7月31日，槟城的疫苗接种率落后他州，共计21.7%成人人口完成接种两剂新冠疫苗，在14个州和地区中排行第10。随着槟城在8月1日新增752宗确诊病例，除了继续遵守防疫标准作业程序外，当局有必要加快疫苗接种速度，因为这是最能有效保护人民以对抗新冠肺炎的方法。
槟城日益剧增的确诊和死亡人数，使人们越发感到害怕，并渴望能尽快接种疫苗。我收到许多关于疫苗接种进度缓慢的投诉，许多人对于他们于今年2月就进行注册，但却没有收到接种预约而感到不满。请问耗资7000万令吉的吾安（MySejahtera）应用程序是否可以让较早注册的民众优先获得预约日期，而不是较晚注册的民众提早获得预约？
当我们挨家挨户分发食物援助时，许多人都表示希望可重新开放经济，让他们能够重新工作或开店营业以谋生。加速疫苗接种率将使我国可更快的重新开放经济。虽然国家免疫计划属于联邦政府的职权范围，但公众已敦促希盟的民选代表积极地向联邦政府要求提高疫苗接种率。
槟州政府决定不自行购买疫苗，而是选择依靠国家免疫计划来达到群体免疫的目标。联邦政府应该回应州政府的信任委托，确保早日交付疫苗，别让槟城落后他州，直至槟城的两剂接种率在14个州属和地区中排行第10。
其中一项建议就是设立类似于巴生谷的“冲刺行动” (Operation Surge Capacity或OSC)，并任命一名槟州政府和联邦政府都可接受的槟城国会议员作为负责人，协调疫苗接种工作，使之顺利完成。前国际贸易和工业部副部长兼万宜民主行动党议员王建明博士，就在较早前被任命为巴生谷的冲刺行动协调员。
槟城作为马来西亚税收的前三大贡献者以及国内的主要出口区，更是我国唯一一个工业化的州属，其国民生产总值的95%来自制造业和服务业。我们谨此希望有关部门能够采取积极措施，加快疫苗接种，以挽救生命和生计。
群体免疫应通过接种疫苗来实现。槟城超过 80% 的冠病病例是未接种疫苗的病例。根据槟城卫生局的数据，未接种疫苗的患者占7月28日总病例数之83%、7月29日的82%、7月30日的79%以及7月31日的80%。职是之故，我们需要加快疫苗接种的速度，以降低感染者的风险。在高感染率的情况下，也许我们将通过接种和感染来实现群体免疫。
林冠英