Govt, media associations should discuss vaccination process for media practitioners - NPC

CYBERJAYA: The National Press Club (NPC) of Malaysia hopes the government will hold discussion with media associations to facilitate the process of COVID-19 vaccination for media practitioners, said NPC president Datuk Ahirudin Attan.

He said media representatives are also frontline personnel who should be vaccinated in the initial phase as they are also in the field to cover news and have to come face-to-face with the people.

He said NPC is aware of the need of the other frontliners to be given priority for COVID-19 jabs but it is the hope of the club that media personnel receive the appropriate attention under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme.

"Talk to us or NUJ (National Union of Journalists). We would like to get involved to help the government to make the process (vaccination for media) smooth," he told a media conference after receiving a fund contribution for the Journalist Welfare Fund (JWF) of NPC from Pop Meals, a food delivery platform here today.

The Coordinating Minister of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin was reported yesterday as saying that the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) has not yet listed media personnel under phase one for the vaccine shot.

On the fund contribution, Ahirudin said Pop Meals which was earlier known as 'dahmakan' contributed RM5,000 cash and 1,000 promo codes for food booked via www.popmeals.com.my.

The promo code which is open to the public will be accepted by sending a request via WhatApp to NPC using its line 019-2458073, and for each order, the customer will receive a quality set of cutlery (worth RM23.90 each) for free from Pop Meals while payment for the food would go to JWF.

Pop Meals communications director Nurul Jamaludin said this was in appreciation of media personnel and to also help those who were affected by COVID-19.

Individuals interested in donating to JWF can channel their contributions to NPC's Ambank Islamic account at 023-202-200219-3 under the name JWF.

-- BERNAMA