KOTA KINABALU: Kanger International Bhd, an investment holding company, has offered to donate 5,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to help fight the pandemic in Sabah.

However, the Sabah government will only take up the offer from Kanger International, which is the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine distributor for Malaysia, once the vaccine gets the green light from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) of the Health Ministry.

The company also contributed RM200,000 towards the cause today which, according to Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor, would go a long way in fighting the pandemic in the state.

"Thank you so much for your contribution. I hope more will come forward and emulate Kanger's kind gesture," said Hajiji during the brief presentation ceremony at the State Administrative Centre (PPNS) today.

Hajiji received the contribution from Kanger International executive director Steven Kuah, while also present were State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun and State Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.

Currently, only three COVID-19 vaccines are being used in Malaysia, namely Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac and AstraZeneca.

Meanwhile, Hajiji said that despite baseless allegations about the vaccines, he was happy to see many people turning up at vaccination centres to get their jabs.

"So far, Sabah has received 223,470 doses of the vaccines under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme from the Federal Government and it is now in its second phase until August," he said.

Meanwhile, Kuah told reporters that as a Malaysian-based company, it was important for them to help the people in need as part of their corporate social responsibility.

"Kanger International wants to bring in the Sinopharm (COVID-19) vaccine into Malaysia and we hope that our contribution will help Sabah to tackle this pandemic," he said.

He said that Kanger International was not looking for business opportunities in Sabah but, instead, wants to foster a greater relationship with the state government and the people here.

-- BERNAMA