Day: August 2, 2021

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Perlis, S’wak and Labuan to move into Phase Three of PPN this Wednesday – PM Muhyiddin

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan will move into Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (PPN) beginning this Wednesday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

 

In a post on his official Facebook account, Muhyiddin said this decision was made at the special National Security Council (MKN) meeting, which he chaired this evening, after the three states showed very good results.

 

“Congratulations and well done… (but) I would like to remind that standard operating procedures (SOP) and regulations must continue to be adhered to and all efforts to improve the (COVID-19) pandemic situation in the respective states must continue.

 

 

“I hope with the cooperation of all parties nationwide, more states would be able to move into the next phase… we must be optimistic and move forward so that Malaysia’s recovery (plan) can be carried out systematically and safely,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the prime minister said relaxations for economic sectors and for individuals who have completed two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be announced soon.

 

He said the matter needs to be scrutinised carefully to ensure the government’s efforts to revive the economy and the people’s quality of life can be carried out smoothly and efficiently.

 

 

“InsyaAllah, I will be announcing the relaxations in the near future, which I hope will benefit those fully vaccinated and also help our economic sectors, while also taking into account the people’s safety,” he said.

 

Muhyiddin said that the government’s strategy was to vaccinate as many adults in the country as possible to ensure Malaysia’s recovery plan runs smoothly.

 

“The more people vaccinated means more people are protected; there will be less pressure and burden on the country’s health system, and more economic and social sectors can be safely opened,” he said.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

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EMCO at five localities in three states from Wednesday – Hishammuddin

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Five localities in Sabah, Kelantan dan Sarawak will be placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from Wednesday until Aug 17, said Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

 

He said in Sabah, the two localities involved are Kampung Selagon and Kampung Binsulok in Beaufort.

 

The affected areas in Kelantan are Kampung Belian in Mukim Sungai Pinang, Tumpat and Kampung Tok Sadang in Mukim Badang, Kota Bharu, he added.

 

 

The EMCO will also be imposed at Ladang Palmlyn workers’ quarters in Mukah, Sarawak, Hishammuddin said in a statement on the EMCO and the National Recovery Plan (PPN) today.

 

Meanwhile, he said the government has decided to extend the EMCO at 16 localities in Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah.

 

Hishammuddin said the EMCO at 10 localities in Mukim Kuala Dungun, Dungun, namely Sungai Buaya, Tanah Lot, Lembah, Padang Jambu, Nibong, Bukit Chatak, Kampung Molek, Bijangga, Sungai Udang and Sungai Penaga, will be extended from Aug 4 to 16.

 

 

He said the other two localities in Terengganu – Bandar Cheneh Baru and Felda Neram 2 – in Mukim Bandi, Kemaman will have their EMCO extended, effective Wednesday until Aug 17.

 

The same extension period also applies for Kampung Bedu, Kampung Temalian and Kampung Pamah Kulat in Mukim Ulu Dong, Raub, Pahang as well as Kampung Pitur, Kinarut in Sabah.

 

According to Hishammuddin, the EMCO imposed on 13 localities in Pahang, Melaka, Sabah and Kelantan will be lifted tomorrow.

 

The localities involved are Kampung Kabang and Kampung Sat in Mukim Ulu Jelai, Lipis in Pahang and Sungai Udang prison (except prison quarters), Melaka Tengah in Melaka, he said.

 

He said the localities involved in Sabah are Beverly Hills Fasa 1 and Cybercity Fasa 2 in Penampang; Kampung Marau and Kampung Kebawang in Sipitang; Kampung Meruntum in Putatan; and Jalan Kampung Likas Simpang Tiga, Api-api Centre, Taman Ujana Kingfisher and Kampung Salut in Kota Kinabalu.

 

As for Kelantan, the affected area is Kampung Gong Jering in Mukim Bukit Jawa, Pasir Putih.

 

On the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) compliance operation, Hishammuddin said 34 premises were ordered to close yesterday.

 

He said a total of 348 individuals were also compounded for violating the SOP and 27 others were remanded.

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

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Unduk Ngadau winner urges Sabahans to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine

PENAMPANG, Aug 2  — Winner of Sabah’s Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Queen) 2021, Maya Hejnowska has urged Sabahans who have yet to register for the COVID-19 vaccine not to delay doing so.

 

“It is very important that we do so as soon as possible as the vaccine is one of the means for us to safeguard ourselves and the people around us,” she said in a statement here today.

 

Maya, who was given her first dose of the vaccine at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) today, said vaccination was very important for Sabah to achieve herd immunity soon.

 

 

The Unduk Ngadau winner, a beauty pageant held annually during the Kaamatan cultural event in Sabah, also said that she understood that some people were scared of needles and being injected.

 

“That was also the case with me. But it isn’t really that frightening once you go through with it.  It is true what some people say that the pain is merely like an ant-bite. For me, the process took a second and then it was over and done with,” she added.

 

Yesterday, Sabah Health director Dr Rose Nani Mudin said almost 40 per cent of Sabah’s residents have received the first dose of vaccine since the state-level National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme began in March, while about 18 to 19 percent have received both doses.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

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EduCity Iskandar opens its PPV Pikas Monday, eyes 1,000 vaccine recipients daily

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 —  Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, EduCity Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (EduCity), has opened EduCity Sports Complex operation as a Vaccination Administration Centre (PPV) today, and aims to inoculate 1,000 people daily.

 

It said the PPV was opened under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Public-Private Partnership COVID-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) or PPV PIKAS after receiving approval from the relevant authorities and a working visit by MITI Deputy Minister Datuk Lim Ban Hong on Aug 1.

 

“The EduCity Iskandar PPV PIKAS will serve manufacturing industries registered under MITI in the Iskandar Puteri, Gelang Patah, Pekas Nenas, Senai, Kulai, and Skudai areas,” it said in a statement today.

 

 

According to Lim, the facilities provided by IIB and EduCity for PPV has met all the requirements.

 

“The acceleration of the vaccination programme will ensure economic sustainability and the well-being of our community,” he said.

 

He said 472,525 manufacturing workers around the country has received the first vaccine dose through the PIKAS programme, while 55,839 workers received the second dose as at July 31, 2021.

 

 

Registered companies under MITI can download its communication pack at https://www.educity.com.my, email to info.pikas@educity.com.my or contact officers at 019-700 9206 and 019-771 0345 for further information about EduCity Iskandar PPV PIKAS.

 

Interested companies in the manufacturing sector may contact pikas.enquiry@miti.gov.my or contact the call centre at 03-62071193 / 03-62071194 / 03-62071195 / 03-62071196.

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

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Walk-in vaccination: 3,600-8,000 vaccine doses to be administered daily at KLCC PPV

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — About 3,600 to 8,000 vaccinations will be administered daily at the KL Convention Centre (KLCC) vaccination centre (PPV) to walk-in recipients in the Klang Valley from today to Aug 22.

 

KLCC PPV3 manager Dr Zaisuria Azmi said the vaccination capacity depended on the number of people present during the operating hours from 2 pm to 8.30 pm daily.

 

“As a start, the number of vaccinations will be 3,600 but the capacity will be increased depending on the number of attendees with a maximum of 8,000 vaccine jabs a day.

 

 

“If there is a need, we will increase the vaccination capacity and increase the number of staff, which currently consists of 231 health and non-health workers,” she told reporters at the KLCC PPV, here, today.

 

She said on the first day of the KLCC PPV opening at 2 pm today, 500 vaccine recipients had already registered by 2.30 pm.

 

“The process is running smoothly so far and many are coming. For those who have attended and failed to get vaccinated because the vaccines allocated for the day have run out, we will ask them to come back the next day,” she said.

 

 

A survey by Bernama found that the public had started arriving at the KLCC as early as noon to register for their vaccinations.

 

Vaccination at KLCC PPV involves three channels namely HCO F, HCO G and HCO H which are specifically for people aged 40 years and above or the “comorbid” group (high-risk group for severe effects from COVID-19 if infected) which will take place until Wednesday.

 

Registration was done on the first floor while vaccinations were carried out on the first, third and fourth floors, and at exactly 2 pm today, people were allowed to enter to get their vaccinations after registration.

 

KLCC is one of the nine PPVs listed for walk-in vaccinations for residents in the Klang Valley and this initiative will continue for all Malaysians, aged 18 and above, from Thursday to Aug 22.

 

Vaccine recipient Samuel Soon, 53, said he previously had to cancel his appointment as the PPV located in Shah Alam was too far from his house in Puchong.

 

“After cancelling, I had not gotten another appointment, so I’m taking this chance to get vaccinated. I’m very pleased as the process is very quick,” he said.

 

Meanwhile in SHAH ALAM, around 3,000 people showed up at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) PPV here, for their walk-in vaccinations but the situation was still under control with the assistance of various enforcement agencies and volunteers.

 

A recipient, Kamarulzaman Baharudin, 46, said he arrived at the centre as early as noon from Puchong as he had missed his previous appointment as he was unwell at that time.

 

In Kepala Batas, PENANG, a centenarian was happy and delighted to be vaccinated via walk-in at the Dewan Millenium PPV today.

 

Che Ah Taib,100, who lives in Pongsu Seribu, was brought by her son Salim Saad, 63, for her vaccination using the drive-through method at the centre as she was not strong enough to walk and required a wheelchair.

 

“Maybe I wasn’t called for my vaccination as I had just registered on MySejahtera, so I took the chance to walk-in today after the announcement that it is opened to the elderly and Alhamdulillah, I have received my first dose.

 

In IPOH, SilverVax, Perak’s vaccination programme, that began today, was well received when around 150 companies in the state registered to book and purchase the vaccine since applications were open on July 23.

 

Majuperak Holdings Bhd (MHB) group chief executive officer Nizran Noordin said they targeted around 100,000 recipients under this programme, including workers and their spouses.

 

“Currently in Perak, over 150 companies have registered to purchase the vaccine and they are now waiting for the call to receive them. This programme, however, is not for profit but it is to help the Perak state government achieve herd immunity faster.

 

“As we know, the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) and the Public-Private Partnership COVID-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) are at no cost, but ours is a paid programme. To purchase, visit our website www.vaksinperak.com,” he added.

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

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COVID: 219 deaths Monday, highest since pandemic hit – Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Malaysia on Monday recorded its highest daily COVID-19 death toll since the pandemic hit the country, with 219 fatalities reported over the last 24 hours.

 

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, in a statement, said the latest fatalities bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the country to 9,403.

 

The deaths involve 201 Malaysians and 18 foreigners, with 198 of them succumbing to the disease in hospital while another 21 died at home (BID).

 

 

A total of 105 fatalities were reported in Selangor, 41 in Kuala Lumpur, 24 in Johor, nine in Melaka, eight in Pahang, seven in Negeri Sembilan, six each in Kedah and Perak, four each in Kelantan and Terengganu, three in Sabah and one death respectively in Labuan and Perlis.

 

Dr Noor Hisham said of the 15,764 new COVID-19 infections reported today, 286 cases or 1.8 per cent were in Categories three, four and five while 15,478 cases, or 98.2 per cent were Category One and Two patients.

 

Category five refers to critical cases requiring ventilator support, category four are patients with pneumonia requiring oxygen support, category three involves those with pneumonia while categories two and one are those with light symptoms and who are asymptomatic respectively.

 

 

He said their status is based on the patients’ clinical conditions just after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

 

“There are cases which remain in the same category throughout the infection period, but there are also those who improve to lower categories or worsen to higher ones.

 

“Overall, 3,525 cases or 22.4 per cent of the total number of cases reported today have been vaccinated with at least one dose,”  he said.

 

Dr Noor Hisham said 1,063 COVID-19 patients are being treated in the intensive care unit, with 532 of them requiring respiratory support.

 

Also, there were 11,767 recovered cases reported overnight, taking the total number of recoveries to 937,732. There are also 199,051 active cases currently, he said.

 

On the 29 new clusters identified today, Dr Noor Hisham said 13 of them were linked to the workplace, 11 in the community, three involved high-risk groups, and a religious and education cluster respectively.

 

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the country’s COVID-19 infectivity rate (R-naught or Rt) has been declining in the last three consecutive days, with 1.08 reported yesterday compared to 1.10 on July 31 and 1.12 on July 30.

 

Perlis is the state with the highest Rt with 1.53, followed by Terengganu (1.35) and Kelantan (1.25).

 

Other states also recorded an Rt above 1.0 except for Negeri Sembilan (0.93) and Labuan (0.63).

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

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Opposition gathering, a futile attempt to convene Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Several opposition Members of Parliament who marched to Parliament Building despite knowing that the Special Sitting of the Third Session of the 14th Parliament has been postponed, were making a futile attempt when they knew their action would not change the decision.

 

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Human Ecology Faculty lecturer Associate Prof Dr Mohd Izani Mohd Zain said their action was only to gain public attention especially the international community.

 

“This assembly was clearly in violation of the standard operating procedure and the physical distancing requirement. It is feared that these MPs could influence other groups after this to hold more gatherings and breach the SOP.

 

 

“This should not be happening as COVID-19 infection cases are still high. The objective cannot justify defying the SOP…as I said before, are these politicians immune to COVID-19,?” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

 

Today, a group of opposition MPs attempted to enter Parliament building compound and insisted on resuming the special sitting even though it has been postponed on the advice of the Ministry of Health following the spread of COVID-19.

 

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies senior lecturer at Raub Campus, Pahang,  Dr Che Hamdan Che Mohd Razali said the action of the MPs was to pressure Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

 

 

“They have respectively weighed the pros and cons of the action. But we could see how the greed of political players could give a bad image and example not only to the people but also the international community.

 

“For politicians, they look from the impact from the number of MPs who gathered this morning to show the extent of support for the opposition block,” he said.

 

A political and social media analyst from UiTM Shah Alam, Selangor, Associate Prof Dr Sara Chinnasamy stressed that the action of the opposition leaders who assembled as a protest following the postponement of Parliament sitting could endanger many others.

 

“Instead of putting the people lives’ first, the followers who joined the protest are at risk, the opposition needs to put politics aside and work for the betterment of the nation and the people especially during this crucial time as COVID-19 cases continue to rise,” she said.

 

UPM Epidemiology expert Associate Prof Dr Malina Osman however viewed the gathering should not have taken place now to avoid sparking a new COVID-19 cluster.

 

“At the moment, for those who wish to contribute to the good of the nation need to come together to find the strategy in solving the COVID-19 pandemic and not to find faults. They have to think about the best for country and the government at the same time should be open to discussion towards seeking solutions,” she said.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency