KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has urged its nationwide member network to participate in the Program Imunisasi Industri Covid-19 Kerjasama Awam-Swasta (Pikas), which will be launched on June 16, 2021.

Pikas will be coordinated by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), and the public-private partnership voluntary immunisation drive is under phase four of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

In a statement today, FMM president Datuk Soh Thian Lai said the federation is committed to playing its part to support the government’s efforts to attain herd immunity and break the pandemic’s chain of transmission.

"This exercise (Pikas) has generated interest from over 1,200 companies nationwide comprising more than 180,000 employees with many more member companies indicating interest to participate,” he said.

Vaccination through Pikas is implemented through two models.

Model 1 is vaccination at a common use Vaccination Administration Centre (VAC), while Model 2 refers to on-site vaccination within the premises of a factory or at an approved location.

"We encourage members, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to choose Model 1.

"There is higher clarity as the cost has been fixed and the common use VACs will be operating starting from June 28, 2021,” Soh added.

To ensure that vaccines are administered to the masses within the shortest possible time, FMM is also advocating the use of mobile vaccination units or vehicles to address the difficulties to transport employees to and from vaccination centres.

"Mobile vaccination units can be established at industrial areas where there is a high density of SMEs with a smaller number of employees, or in rural areas where employees might have difficulty getting access to these vaccination centres.

"This will greatly assist employees, especially from SME companies, to receive Covid-19 vaccines,” he said. — Bernama