More calls on free Covid-19 vaccine for migrants themalaysianreserve.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from themalaysianreserve.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In line for immunity: Foreigners lining up for vaccinations at the KLCC PPV. AZMAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department will not interfere in the vaccination programme for migrants nor station its officials near the Covid-19 vaccination sites, said Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud.
He made this promise to ensure a safe passage for foreigners in a WhatsApp message to Bernama.
Walk-ins for those facing barriers to vaccines such as irregular migrants and refugees are set to begin tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, but whether it succeeds is still a question.
Vaccinating millions of irregular migrants in Malaysia remains part of the country’s plan to gain control over Covid-19 within its borders.
Expatriate workers, including Bangladeshis, in Malaysia are facing concerns over their jobs and income after the country declared a nationwide state of emergency until August 1 to combat the rising Covid-19 cases with the daily case number recently crossing the 3,000-mark.
Migrants and rights activists said many foreign workers either lost their jobs or had their wages slashed amid the pandemic since February last year when a lot of businesses faced closure or downsizing.
With some businesses reopening in June, the economy began recovering. But the country saw another wave of Covid-19 late last year, prompting Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah to declare a state of emergency on Wednesday.