KUCHING: The Sarawak government did not say it did not need the federal government with regard to Covid-19 vaccines, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) Backbenchers have clarified.
They pointed out that what the state government said was that it would buy its own vaccines to complement federal government supplies.
“It is a widely known fact that Covid-19 vaccines are in short supply worldwide.
“Hence the need to procure different types of vaccines from different manufacturers and also get bigger supply allocation from the vaccines procured by the federal government.”
GPS Backbenchers Club were responding to recent remarks made by Sarawak Democratic Action Party chairman Chong Chieng Jen who said GPS were now ‘king beggar’ instead of ‘kingmaker’ during a live session on Facebook on Sunday (March 29).
“The GPS government will continue to put the interests of Sarawak first, be they delivering infrastructure development, defending Sarawak’s rights, empowering youth or ensuring that we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Chong had said that the state government indicated that it would buy vaccines on its own and would not rely on the federal government.
The Stampin MP said however, the state had shifted its stand and was now asking for more vaccines from the federal government.
Meanwhile, New Sarawak Tribune reported that the Sarawak government sent a letter to national Covid-19 immunisation programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin on March 18 on the state’s intention to purchase its own vaccines.
Sarawak is currently waiting for a response from the federal government.
