Abdul Karim willing to be first to receive Covid19 vaccine jab

KUCHING: Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah is more than willing to be first in the state to be given the Covid-19 vaccine jab.

Responding to calls for politicians and elected people’s representatives to be vaccinated first to ensure the vaccine’s efficacy, Abdul Karim said it was a good suggestion since politicians were the ones who would always have public engagements and meetings with the people.

“Apart from the frontliners like healthcare workers, the police and also teachers to be among the first to be vaccinated, I would love to have the vaccine first as a politician,” he said at a press conference at his office in the new Baitulmakmur Building, Petra Jaya yesterday.

However, Abdul Karim, who is Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president, hoped the opposition would not make an issue or “spin the matter” out of the calls for politicians to be among the first to be vaccinated.

Recently, the state Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian had said the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer will be received at the end of this month and in March and the vaccines shots will go to some 90,000 frontliners in the state first.

Dr Sim said the whole process of the vaccination programme in the state might take at least six months due to the state’s large land size. Priority would also be given to high-risk groups, including the elderly as well as those suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and other pre-existing medical conditions.