KUCHING, July 7 — Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan today advised companies in the manufacturing sector with more than 1,500 employees to apply to the state Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development (MINTRED) to set up industry vaccine administration centres (PPIV) in their premises.
He said companies with less than 1,500 employees can set up a centralised administration centre such as shopping malls or university premises.
“The ministry is working closely with the business associations to get as many companies as possible to participate in PPIV,” he told reporters after visiting the PPIV at the Spring Shopping Mall here.
Awang Tengah said the associations include the Sarawak Electronics and Supporting Industries Companies, Samalaju Industrial Investors Association, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Sarawak Timber Association and Sarawak Association of Maritime Industries.
He said so far 236 companies have registered their interest with MINTRED to participate in the PPIV programme for the manufacturings sector involving 43,050 employees.
Awang Tengah said this includes 47 companies with 10,051 employees from Samaalaju Industrial Park, 24 companies with 11,127 employees from Samajaya High Technology Park and 64 companies with 13,423 employees with the Sarawak Timber Association.
He added the state Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) has recently approved two administration centres in Bintulu and one Miri, which will benefit a total of 5,776 employees.
He said the PPIV programme will cost RM15 per dose or RM30 for two doses to be borne by the company concerned to cover the cost of healthcare organisers while the vaccine is provided free by the government.
He said companies that want to participate in the programme will have to ensure that there is a suitable venue for the vaccination exercise as required by the Ministry of Health and its agency, the Protect Health Corporation.
He added the setting up of the administration centres is to expedite the Covid-19 vaccination programme for the manufacturing, plantation, services, construction and oil and gas sectors.
“Once we have achieved the target of vaccination, the state government may consider to slowly open up the economy, subject to the full compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs),” he added.
