MP SPEAKS | Yesterday, the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Selangor reached 2,836 cases out of a total of 6,276 cases nationwide, or 45 percent of total cases.

It is likely that the number of cases will remain high in Selangor for another few weeks for a variety of reasons, including the possible spread of the more infectious Delta variant, and the continued infection of workers via their hostel/dormitory accommodations.

There is an urgent need for the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) at the federal level and for the “Vaksin Selangor” or Selvax programme in Selangor to run concurrently so that the vaccination of workers at factories and construction sites can be ramped up to reduce the number and severity of transmissions in the Klang Valley.

We can only reach the “magical” figure of below 4,000 Covid-19 cases nationally that will allow the Phase 2 opening of the economy under the National Recovery Plan (NRP), when the number of cases in the Klang Valley is reduced. By saving Selangor, we can save the entire country.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari announced yesterday that 80 percent of the active clusters are factory related (or more accurately, related to the factory workers’ accommodation quarters) while 11 percent are construction site related.

When we drill down the numbers, the situation is even clearer at the national level. Of the total 325 new factory clusters identified since the start of MCO 3.0 in May 2021, 199 or 36.6 percent are in Selangor or Selangor-related (meaning that part of the cluster started in Selangor and is part of a larger Klang Valley cluster).

Of the 10,802 positive cases identified in the factories nationwide during MCO 3.0 (including the lockdown period), 4,891 were in Selangor or 45.3 percent. This is because Selangor has a higher number of factories and also more workers per factory than other states.

Under the Selvax programme for industries in Selangor, approximately two million doses have been set aside for one million workers in the industries in the state, covering manufacturing, construction, retail and others.

The manufacturing and construction sectors should be given priority because of the high percentage of foreign workers, many of whom are living in very cramped living quarters. The industrial and construction zones which have recorded a high number of Covid-19 cases in the past two months should be prioritised, for example, those in Hulu Langat, Petaling and Klang districts.

These vaccination programmes should take place in the industrial zones or nearby, to minimise travelling for the workers, since there is some fear that undocumented workers may be targeted by the immigration authorities, and the risk is higher when they venture further from their workplaces and accommodation quarters.

Due to the high number of workers in the manufacturing and construction sectors in Selangor, the Pikas programme under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), which is focused on vaccinating workers in the manufacturing sector, should run concurrently with the Selvax industry vaccination programme.

To date, two sites in Selangor have been identified as Pikas sites, namely the Setia Alam Convention Centre and the Shah Alam Convention Centre. The number of Pikas sites in Selangor should be increased and should be located at the industrial and construction zones or nearby.

The PIKAS programme charges approximately RM90 (to cover the administration fee for two doses, vaccines are provided free by the federal government) while under the Selvax industry programme, two doses will cost RM350.

Therefore, Miti should ideally focus the Pikas programme on the SMEs that are less able to fork out as much compared to the large MNCs. I strongly recommend for Miti and STFC (with Selangkah and POIS) sit down together to discuss the strategy for the industry vaccination programme in Selangor moving forward, especially since a larger number of vaccines will become available in July and in August.

As the former deputy minister of Miti and a current member of the POIS committee, I stand ready to facilitate this discussion between Miti and the relevant government agencies and politicians in Selangor.

Only with a unified effort between the federal and state governments, starting in Selangor, can we start to make a noticeable dent in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley and by extension, the whole country. Let us put aside politics to focus on the physical and economic well-being of our people.

ONG KIAN MING is the MP for Bangi a former deputy minister of international trade and industry and committee member of the Prevention of Outbreak at Ignition Sites (POIS) under the Selangor Taskforce on Covid-19 (STFC).

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.