National CITF has instructed the closure of 5 PPVs in Klang with one exception. We, the representatives of societies and community organisations in Klang want to offer an alternative view that should be considered based on public health and local geographic and demographic concerns.
- Herd Immunity Met?
- MySejahtera not the best platform for assessing the numbers
- High infection rates indicate that many are still not vaccinated
- Closure of all the PPVs are not cost-saving
- Keeping one mega PPV open will increase the risk of clusters happening
- Difficulty and confusion that is to be faced by second dose recipients who are not IT-savvy
The argument for closure is that vaccination rates in Klang has exceeded the first dose 90% requirement. We offer an alternative view to this.
MySejahtera reality
| Total population in Klang registered as per Mysejahtera 18 and above (on August 3rd) | 796,313 |
| 90% vaccinated (have received at least 1 dose) 18 and above according to MySejahtera (on August 3rd) | 716, 682 |
On-the-ground reality
| Actual population in Klang 18 and above | 1.3 million |
| 90% needed to be vaccinated 18 and above (to receive at least 1 dose) | 1.17 million |
| Estimated not vaccinated | 453,318 (35% of Klang population) |
Clearly, we have not reached the 90% numbers as stated by the government as a basis of closing the PPVs. This is unfair and unjust to the unvaccinated since we have now closed the first dose line for them . We urge that the first dose option continue to be opened and made available so that the 453,318 individuals can be vaccinated.
Based on the experience in managing PPV Hokkien Hall, more than 1500 citizens and non-citizens had to be registered on-site by volunteers as they were either unable to register in MySejahtera or complete the documentation required to get an appointment. This shows that many people are not registered with MySejahtera making it a platform that is unsuitable for decision-making purposes.
The argument that the 90% vaccination rate has been achieved in Klang is not reflected in the continuing high rates of infections.
| Time period | Number of total Covid-19 infections in Klang |
| 21st July – 20th August 2021 | 49,697 cases |
| 21st June – 20th July 2021 | 17,066 cases |
| 20th May – 20th June 2021 | 10,981 cases |
The sudden increase in July and August shows that the number of unvaccinated is high. This is not good for public health as it could overburden hospitals and the aim to bring down the number of severe hospitalised cases will not be achieved as envisioned by KKM. Therefore what CITF is doing
is counterproductive to the national aim of reducing infections, burdens on the hospitals and deaths.
The government has already invested RM 3-4 million per PPV in Klang and this is a ‘sunk cost’- expenditure already made. So CITF’s argument on new resource allocation or cost-saving doesn’t arise.
The spreading out of the population into multiple smaller PPVs was one of the main reasons why these different PPVs were opened. Concentrating more than 14 thousand people a day in PPV Wyndham Hotel for Klang as planned may lead to cluster breakouts and closure of that PPV for one or two days. So it may be prudent to distribute vaccinations across Klang to other PPVs. This will also increase accessibility to people to vaccination centres, thereby increasing the number of vaccinations.
Changing PPVs can lead to miscommunication and confusion among second dose recipients who are not IT-savvy, especially among the elderly and migrant workers. This may lead to missed appointments and non-completion of vaccination.
In conclusion, the rationale for closure is highly questionable and clearly not based on public health measures, science or data. Decisions should be made in consultation with local stakeholders for better outcomes. It appears that MOSTI and KKM’s positions are on collision course detrimental to public health and exit from achieving the true and actual 90% and lessening the burden on the hospitals.
We ask that the decision be revoked and wait for the new MOSTI Minister to be appointed for further dialogue and discussion.