JOHOR BARU: Workers in the manufacturing sector here are eager to get vaccinated under the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation (Pikas) initiative so that the country can accelerate its progress to reopen all economic sectors within the timeframe outlined in the National Recovery Plan.

       Under the four-phase NRP, the transition from one stage to the next will depend on indicators based on a drop in infections and a rise in vaccination rates.

       Nurul Athikaf Yassin, 27, who works in a hazmat suit factory here, said that she was now waiting for more updates about the initiative from her company.

       “At the moment, I have not received my vaccination appointment date but I have been told that my colleagues and I would getting the dates soon.

       “I wanted to volunteer to get the AstraZeneca vaccine earlier but unfortunately I missed my chance despite numerous attempts.

       “So, I was relieved when the Pikas initiative was announced as it could get help me get protection against Covid-19 soon,” she added.

       Sharifah Zainol Syed Ali, 50, who works in a factory manufacturing tissue paper, said the programme would make it easier for her to make arrangements on the scheduled vaccination date.

       “I have not received my vaccination date on MySejahtera and I am worried that the date may not fit my working schedule.

       “However, since my company is now arranging for me to be vaccinated under Pikas, I could be at ease as I believe they would be able to give me the vaccine on a day that suits my work schedule,” she said.

       Sharifah Zainol added that she was told by her supervisor that more information about the initiative, including on estimated date to get the jab, would be given to her in the next few weeks.

       “Although I take all the necessary precautions everywhere I go, including at my workplace, I am still constantly worried about Covid-19.

       “I am a cancer survivor and I am afraid that the effect of the disease could be more severe on me,” she said.

       M. Kannan, 27, who recently joined a vacuum manufacturing factory as an operator, said that he was waiting for his employer to inform him about the initiative.

       “Having a chance to get the vaccine early is definitely a good thing and I hope to be registered for it as soon as possible,” he said, adding that he has only been working in the factory for two months.

       Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Low Kueck Shin said Pikas was a good initiative that could reduce the risk of new Covid-19 clusters at industrial areas.

       “As we know, there is a higher percentage of clusters coming from industrial areas, especially in the manufacturing sector.

       “The successful implementation of the initiative could help reduce the number of new cases, allowing us to reopen our economy faster,” Low said.

       “I believe that factory owners are also willing to fork out money to vaccinate their employees as this will reduce the risk of them having to shut down temporarily due to a Covid-19 case in the future,” he added.

       Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said they welcomed Pikas for the manufacturing sector by the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) to accelerate the immunisation of the economic sector and expedite business recovery.

       “Based on reports by the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force, vaccination rates currently are at 250,000 doses per day and FMM expects these numbers to be ramped up to between 300,000 and 400,000 doses per day in the next few months, bolstered by programmes such as Pikas,” he said.

       Soh noted that Miti had been tasked, with the support of the private sector, to coordinate Pikas in order to provide a speedier and effective Covid-19 vaccine rollout for employees in the manufacturing sector.

       He said with over 2.25 million workers in the manufacturing sector targeted to be vaccinated under Pikas, as part of its collective responsibility to support Miti, FMM has mobilised its network nationwide to encourage manufacturers to participate in the programme.

       “To date, 4,100 companies with 660,000 employees have registered under the Pikas scheme. Efforts were already underway from the launch of Pikas to vaccinate employees from the manufacturing sector through 49 designated industry vaccination centres (PPV) established nationwide,” he added.

       Pikas was launched on June 16 as an effort to vaccinate some 150,000 workers in the critical manufacturing sub-sectors in four states: Selangor, Johor, Penang and Sarawak.