PETALING JAYA (Bernama): The allowance increase for healthcare volunteers involved in the Covid-19 vaccination process and management is also given to volunteers serving persons with disabilities, says Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

       He said the OKU Sentral drive-through vaccination centre here, for example, currently has approximately 100 volunteers helping to manage and ensure smooth running of the Covid-19 vaccination process involving persons with disabilities.

       "The daily allowance increase from RM50 to RM100 is also given to these volunteers who numbered about 100 now and counting,” he told a press conference after visiting the OKU Sentral drive-though PPV at Menara Sime Darby Plantation here Thursday (June 24).

       Also present was OKU Sentral president Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

       At a press conference in Tangkak, Johor, on June 22, the Prime Minister announced that the daily allowance for healthcare volunteers involved in the Covid-19 vaccination process and management has been increased to RM100 from RM50, in appreciation of their contributions.

       Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said that there were 579,150 persons with disabilities registered with the Social Welfare Department and 280,904 of them had registered for vaccination under National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of June 20.

       Of the total, he said 15,914 had received their first dose and 3,859 had been fully vaccinated.

       At the same time, the Prime Minister repeated his statement that the issue of vaccine supply delivery was not only faced by Malaysia but also other countries due to monopoly by developed nations.

       "Even though we have signed (the contracts) for the number of vaccines needed, but only half of it has arrived, and until today, not even

       10% of Malaysian population were fully vaccinated.

       "We have the capacity but we don’t have enough vaccine. That is why I have ordered Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin to negotiate with all suppliers,” he said.

       Muhyiddin said the government will continue negotiating the matter to ensure that all vaccines secured will be received to achieve herd immunity by end of this year. - Bernama