KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Elected representatives will be vaccinated against Covid-19 in the first phase of the National Immunisation Plan (NIP) starting next week, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The prime minister said vaccinating MPs and state assemblymen is needed so they can better carry out their duties.

"Regardless of which side they are on, the government have decided that MPs and assemblymen will get the vaccine during the first phase so as to better carry out their duties to the people.

"As for the others we are taking into consideration all requests and applications from certain groups including those in the media and teachers,” Muhyiddin said during a press conference after the launch of the National Immunisation Programme website and guidebook.

The prime minister also said that the government is considering adding teachers and media personnel, due to their nature of work that involves being with the public.

"As far as I am concerned, those we just mentioned can be given the vaccine earlier due to the way they manage their day-to-day activities, which involve a lot of people. If we feel they are at risk by not being vaccinated, we’ll consider them as among the first recipients for the vaccine.”

According to the NIP, the first phase from February 26 to April is meant to cover medical frontliners as well as those in essential services and security.

The second phase of the vaccination programme from April to August will cover those in high-risk groups while the final phase for the general population will commence in May.

A national proclamation of Emergency that will last until August was declared last month, ostensibly to provide the government more powers to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the Emergency Ordinance issued after the proclamation, Parliament and all state assemblies are also suspended for the duration.

Meanwhile, the third phase is for those aged 18 and above which will be from this May to February 2022. 

Muhyiddin also urged the media to help propagate the virtues of taking the vaccine to convince those who are sceptical about it that it is safe since the government won’t make it mandatory to get vaccinated.

He said he was aware that there could be around 30 per cent of Malaysians who are not convinced as yet but reminded them that there could be complications that could arise from not getting vaccinated such as travel restrictions to certain countries who make it compulsory to show proof of vaccinations.

Other than that, there could also arise situations in the future where certain businesses can only do business with those who have been vaccinated.

"What’s important now and the role of the media is to spread the word that vaccination is generally safe. We see it happening in many countries.

"We must understand that not all countries are doing it to manage the Covid-19 situation only but to also bring the economy back on firm footing,” said Muhyiddin.

"So in the long term it would be advantageous to be vaccinated.”

Meanwhile, science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin said during phase one, the programme has allocated 300,000 vaccines for medical frontliners and 200,000 for non-medical frontliners which include security personnel, welfare workers and politicians.

He also said the government has asked the Health Ministry to look into forming a special vaccine injury scheme which it will announce in due course.