Vaccination for more than 50,000 ‘frontliners’ in transportation industry being fast-tracked, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has announced that more than 51,500 frontliners in the transportation industry will be given their Covid-19 shots under the Transportation Sector Vaccination Programme starting today.

Wee said that this included workers in three modes of transportation services, namely land, sea and air such as sailors and workers at sea ports, airports, and rail services.

“The transportation sector is among essential services that need to operate 24 hours seven days a week in ensuring the continuity of the lives of the public, and the transportation of goods and passengers is not negatively affected,” he said at the multipurpose hall of the Port Klang Authority’s Sport Club.

He added that the transport companies involved will be partially bearing the cost of setting up the related vaccination centres, while the government will provide the vaccines for free.

The first part of the programme began today, where 10,000 maritime workers will be vaccinated — at a rate of 1,000 people per day — at a private vaccination centre which is being run by the Port Klang Authority in the multipurpose hall of its Sport Club.

Wee said the programme is set to expand to include a total of 18,596 maritime workers located in the central part of West Malaysia, who make up 53 per cent of maritime workers nationwide who qualify to receive the vaccine.

He said that although there were 59,155 maritime workers in Malaysia, not all of them qualified to receive the vaccine under criteria set by the Ministry of Health — such as pregnant mothers or due to other health issues.

He added that other centres will be opened up to vaccinate workers in ports in other parts of the country including Penang, Kuantan, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

On July 5, a vaccination centre will be opened up at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to begin vaccinating 22,243 airport, flight company and cargo staff.

“For the land transport sector that involves public land transportation, several vaccination centres will be opened up in several locations nationwide to ensure 19,259 rail workers and bus drivers can be given vaccines at the nearest time,” said Wee.