1 October 2021
Move comes as country aims to inoculate 80 per cent of the population by the year end
Malaysia said yesterday it is now mandatory for all civil servants to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with exceptions made only on health grounds.
The announcement comes as the country looks to boost vaccination rates with the aim of inoculating 80 per cent of the population by the end of the year.
Malaysia has one of the fastest vaccine roll-outs in South-east Asia, with 61 per cent of its 32 million population already fully vaccinated.
In a statement, the Public Service Department said vaccinations are compulsory for federal staff to boost public confidence and ensure government services are delivered smoothly.
Nearly 98 per cent of civil servants have already been vaccinated, while 1.6 per cent have yet to register for inoculation.
Malaysia has around 1.6 million public servants.
Unvaccinated employees have been given until Nov 1 to complete their inoculations, while those who are unable to be vaccinated must submit health information verified by a government medical officer.
Those who fail to get vaccinated in time will face disciplinary action, the department said.
Meanwhile, the first Covid-19 case among tourists in Langkawi has been detected by the state Health Department.
The island opened for domestic tourists on Sept 16.
State Health director, Dr Othman Warijo, said the case involved a three-year-old boy from Negeri Sembilan who tested positive for the virus after symptoms appeared on Sept 25.
“The child arrived with his parents on Sept 24 at 7.30pm from Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) and showed no symptoms while en route and during screening at the airport,” he said yesterday.
Dr Othman said tests were conducted on both parents, which turned out negative, and the child wore face masks all the time while at KLIA2, during the flight and when arriving in Langkawi.
He said the child’s parents had received complete vaccinations and have no history of the virus or being in close contact with Covid-19 cases.
He said the child was confirmed positive on Sept 26. He showed mild symptoms and was placed at the Langkawi Covid-19 Assessment Centre.
Malaysia reported 12,735 cases yesterday, taking the total to 2,245,695. – REUTERS, THE STAR
Source: www.tnp.sg
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