98.18 pct of 1.6 mln civil servants fully vaccinated against COVID-19

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 98.18 per cent out of 1.6 million civil servants in the country have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so far, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.

"The vaccination programme is still ongoing and it is carried out on a voluntary basis, including among civil servants," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, here, today.

He was replying to a question from Datuk Dr Shahruddin Md Salleh (Pejuang-Sri Gading) who wanted to know the status and rights of civil servants who refused to get vaccinated and whether the government will take legal action against them.

In his reply to Shahruddin's supplementary question on measures taken to ensure that individuals who refuse vaccination against COVID-19 do not affect the health of others, Dr Abdul Latiff said the government had so far no plans to make vaccination compulsory for all citizens like other countries such as Singapore and Canada.

However, he said, the government has taken several measures including prohibiting individuals who refused to get vaccinated from dining-in at restaurants or carrying out other activities that can be enjoyed by those who are fully vaccinated.

"We hope that sooner or later they will realise that (without vaccination) they are also exposed to the risk of developing severe infections if they contracted the virus," he said.

Dr Abdul Latiff said the government would continue to carry out engagement and outreach programmes with the public, including the Orang Asli community, to ensure that all target groups received the vaccine.

-- BERNAMA