98% of 1.6 million civil servants fully vaccinated

Some 98.18% of 1.6 million civil servants in the country have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 so far, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) 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 the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question from Shahruddin Md Salleh (Pejuang-Sri Gading) who asked about the status and rights of civil servants who refuse 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, Latiff said the government had so far no plans to make vaccination compulsory for citizens like other countries such as Singapore and Canada.

However, he said the government has taken several measures including prohibiting individuals who refuse 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 infection if they contract the virus,” he said.

Latiff also said the government would continue to conduct outreach programmes with the public, including the Orang Asli community, to ensure that all target groups receive the vaccine.