Senators, according to Rais, should be considered frontrunners for the Covid-19 vaccine

KUALA LUMPUR: Rais Yatim, the president of the Dewan Negara, has officially advised the government that members of the Senate should be included on the list of Covid-19 vaccine frontline recipients.

He said the letter was sent to Khairy Jamaluddin, the National Covid-19 Immunization Program’s coordinating minister, and Dr. Adham Baba, the health minister, this morning.

“The letter (aims to) ask why senators are not included in the list of main recipients (of the vaccine), together with other legislators, such as members of the Dewan Rakyat and state legislative assemblies.

“I have reminded them to return the legislative rights to the 66 senators. I am acting as the president of Dewan Negara and this matter can only be resolved by Khairy and Adham,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

According to the JKJAV (Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee) website https://www.vaksincovid.gov.my/ about guidelines for determining the list of frontliners for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, members of the Senate were not included with members of the Dewan Rakyat and state legislative assemblies.

Frontliners are individuals who are at a high risk of being infected and spreading the disease, according to the guidelines.

Those who are directly exposed to infected individuals; those who are directly exposed to samples from patients or the environment with the potential to become an infection source (Covid-19); and those who are directly exposed to samples from patients or the environment with the potential to become an infection source (Covid-19) (Covid-19).

The paper divides the frontliners into two classes. Members working in the health sector, defense forces, security personnel, and essential services fall into category one, while those working in the health sector, defense forces, security personnel, and essential services fall into category two.

The JKJAV co-chairs Adham and Khairy signed the paper on March 1, and it states that any amendments to the guidelines must be accepted by the JKJAV.