Bung Moktar offers to be test subject for COVID-19 vaccine

KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin is willing to be the test subject of the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia in a respond to the suggestion that it should be tested on politicians first.

"Responding to Sarikei's challenge, I offer (to be) the first person to be tested with this COVID-19 vaccine if there is one. I am not afraid, I want to be healthy," he said when debating the 2021 Budget allocation for the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the committee level in the Dewan Rakyat sitting here today.

He was responding to Wong Ling Biu (Sarikei-DAP), who, during the debate, claimed that his family members, including his national athlete son, Jacky, were used as test subjects after they were tested positive for COVID-19.

Wong also claimed that there were inconsistencies in Jacky's test results.

"As the virus has died, the quarantine period should have ended earlier but he was kept for 73 days before being allowed to return home. I feel that my family members including myself were used as test subjects after we confirmed positive. If we do have the vaccine, who will be the next test subject?

"People out there recommend that the vaccine should be tested on politicians first to ensure the effectiveness before it is to be given to the people," Wong said.

Meanwhile, Bung Moktar also raised the issue of weak coordination of the MOH in managing COVID-19 cases in Sabah when it did not take up offers from private hospitals for the use of their facilities to treat COVID-19 patients.

"Hospitals in Sabah have been seen as unstable since COVID-19 pandemic. Most of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 are being sent everywhere. In Tawau, for example, there are private hospitals offering their facilities for rent, but the MOH did not take up the offer.

"Instead, they (COVID-19 patients) are being sent to hospital in other district, thus increased the risk of infection in those districts," he said.

-- BERNAMA