KOTA KINABALU: Former Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina LIew hopes Sabah’s requests for new stocks of COVID-19 vaccines, among other forms of assistance, will be met swiftly now that we have a Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and a new Senior Minister (Security Cluster) to assist the Prime Minister.
The Tawau MP noted that the State Government had requested the Federal Government to increase the supply of vaccines to Sabah immediately to meet the target of administering 30,000 vaccine shots a day.
“We hope the Federal Government will keep its promise to deliver 140,000 doses of vaccines to Sabah every week after this week’s arrival as scheduled.”As it is, thousands of people have yet to receive their first dose despite having registered for vaccination months ago.These include tourism stakeholders, industrial workers, e-hailing drivers, food delivery riders and other frontliners, not to mention those who are awaiting their second dose vaccination.”Give us the much-needed vaccines as soon as possible,” she said in a statement on Saturday.
Liew, who is also Api Api Assemblywoman, said she learned that more than 16,000 vaccine doses had just been transported to Tawau but solely for second dose vaccination. “So what about the thousands of residents there who have yet to receive their appointment schedule for first dose vaccination? How long more do they have to wait knowing that the COVID-19 threat is in our midst?” she asked.
On Wednesday (July 7), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement said the appointment of DPM will help the prime minister to manage the country and meet the people’s needs at a time when the country is facing a health and economic crisis.
“In the Sabah context, the Federal Government must look at the people’s needs from the state’s perspective, without imposing policies that may be impractical,” Liew asserted.
Meanwhile, she commended the State Government for being firm in its decision to allow dine-ins at eateries in Sabah.
“Commendation to the Government for its consistency in maintaining a standard operating procedure (SOP which, we feel, is more empathetic to the small business sector.”This will clear the air of uncertainty among operators of coffee shops and restaurants, including those in hotels, who need breathing space to survive economically,” Liew said.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, in a statement, said the State Government stands by its decision to allow dine-ins.
