PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Education Ministry (MOE) staff are believed to constitute the biggest group of civil servants who have yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the Public Service Department (PSD).

       Without disclosing details, its director-general Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman ( pic) said the PSD is updating data of the civil servants who have not been vaccinated and this process is expected to be completed in two weeks' time.

       Currently, the PSD is matching the data of unvaccinated civil servants using the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) and MySejahtera application of the Health Ministry, he said.

       "As of today, the data is being updated and the PSD will relook at the reasons given by these civil servants for not wanting to be vaccinated.

       "The reasons given will then be reviewed by each department head ... so heads of department need to go down to the field to understand the reasons given for not wanting to be vaccinated," he said when met after attending the #KeluargaMalaysiaSiagaBencana 2021 National Preparedness Month programme here Monday (Nov 8).

       The PSD had issued a circular mandating civil servants including teachers to get vaccinated before Nov 1 or face disciplinary action including possible dismissal.

       On Nov 1, Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said school authorities were authorised to conduct checks immediately to determine if teachers possessed vaccination certificates to ensure they complied with the circular.

       Mohd Khairul Adib said no disciplinary action had been taken against civil servants yet for refusing vaccination.

       "We understand that there are some who are concerned about getting vaccinated, and some of them do not want to be vaccinated because they are cancer patients, or have just given birth, or have the Covid-19 infection. These groups will be given an exemption," he said.

       He said department heads needed to make good decisions regarding this issue to ensure there was no service delivery disruption to the community.

       "Sometimes, department heads are forced to be firm to ensure services are not affected," he added. - Bernama