16 October 2021

Press statement by MCA Ethnic Relations and Religious Affairs Bureau Chief Cally Ting Zhao Song

Volunteers at PPVs for teenagers should receive equal benefits as those volunteering in public PPVs

During a recent visit to a vaccination centre for teenagers, the person-in-charge told us that the volunteers there were neither paid allowances nor had meals provided. The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) should explain why this is happening.

Compared with the volunteers at public vaccination centres who were provided with daily allowances and meals, the vaccination centres for teenagers operated by the District Education Office had provided neither allowances nor meals for their volunteers.

The Government should have allocated a budget to the District Education Office for volunteer allowances or at least provided meals. This is to ensure fairness towards all volunteers of vaccination centres.

The allowances or meals are an acknowledgement of the volunteers' contributions to enable Malaysians to receive their vaccines efficiently, quickly and safely.

In the last mile of our battle against COVID-19, vaccination for teenagers is crucial. Hence, the District Education Offices role as the management is also equally important.

The vaccination centres for teenagers have been operating for two weeks whereby most of the centres will close before 31 October 2021. By then, vaccination will only be available at government clinics.

Hence, I urge the CITF to look into these matters immediately to be fair to every volunteer who sacrificed their time to serve the community through these difficult times.

Cally Ting Zhao Song

MCA Ethnic Relations and Religious Affairs Bureau Chief

-MCA Online-