U-turn on anti-vax teachers will cause mistrust of govt decisions, MP warns
The government has announced that unvaccinated teachers will be allowed to resume working in physical classrooms.
PETALING JAYA: An MP has warned of public mistrust of government decisions following an announcement that unvaccinated teachers will be allowed to resume teaching in physical classrooms.
Dr Kelvin Yii of DAP, who is the MP for Bandar Kuching, said the decision showed an inconsistency in policy making.
Education minister Radzi Jidin’s latest statement regarding unvaccinated teachers, which he issued yesterday, was an apparent about-turn from an announcement the ministry made last year, in which such teachers were warned that action would be taken against them since the public service department had issued a directive making vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for all civil servants.
“Such inconsistencies basically build mistrust of government decisions,” Yii told FMT. “After this, who will follow a directive as it may be changed anytime?
“In my view, all high-risk groups and carers of high-risk groups, including teachers, should be vaccinated.”
Yii, who heads the parliamentary select committee on health, science and innovation, said parents should be informed about unvaccinated teachers in their children’s schools.
He also said such teachers should test themselves for Covid-19 before going to school each day.
Mak Chee Kin, who heads the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education, criticised the unvaccinated teachers for their “glaring defiance” of a government directive.
He suggested that these teachers be moved to district education offices to carry out administrative tasks or transferred to remote schools that have small numbers of pupils in their classrooms.
“These are the stubborn few,” he said. “Action must be taken to reprimand them. Otherwise, a bad precedent is set.”
Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chairman of the Parent Action Group for Education, said she was concerned over the possibility of unvaccinated teachers being seriously infected.
She noted that 58% of Malaysian students had yet to be vaccinated and said they ran the risk of being infected from contact with unvaccinated teachers.
She proposed that unvaccinated teachers, particularly those with medical problems, be offered voluntary separation deals if they failed to be vaccinated.
Last September, Radzi said 2,500 teachers had turned down anti-Covid vaccination for health reasons and because of a lack of confidence in the vaccines.
By Oct 3, 97.5% of teachers had been fully vaccinated against the virus.
PETALING JAYA: An MP has warned of public mistrust of government decisions following an announcement that unvaccinated teachers will be allowed to resume teaching in physical classrooms.
Dr Kelvin Yii of DAP, who is the MP for Bandar Kuching, said the decision showed an inconsistency in policy making.
Education minister Radzi Jidin’s latest statement regarding unvaccinated teachers, which he issued yesterday, was an apparent about-turn from an announcement the ministry made last year, in which such teachers were warned that action would be taken against them since the public service department had issued a directive making vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for all civil servants.
“Such inconsistencies basically build mistrust of government decisions,” Yii told FMT. “After this, who will follow a directive as it may be changed anytime?
“In my view, all high-risk groups and carers of high-risk groups, including teachers, should be vaccinated.”
Yii, who heads the parliamentary select committee on health, science and innovation, said parents should be informed about unvaccinated teachers in their children’s schools.
He also said such teachers should test themselves for Covid-19 before going to school each day.
Mak Chee Kin, who heads the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education, criticised the unvaccinated teachers for their “glaring defiance” of a government directive.
He suggested that these teachers be moved to district education offices to carry out administrative tasks or transferred to remote schools that have small numbers of pupils in their classrooms.
“These are the stubborn few,” he said. “Action must be taken to reprimand them. Otherwise, a bad precedent is set.”
Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chairman of the Parent Action Group for Education, said she was concerned over the possibility of unvaccinated teachers being seriously infected.
She noted that 58% of Malaysian students had yet to be vaccinated and said they ran the risk of being infected from contact with unvaccinated teachers.
She proposed that unvaccinated teachers, particularly those with medical problems, be offered voluntary separation deals if they failed to be vaccinated.
Last September, Radzi said 2,500 teachers had turned down anti-Covid vaccination for health reasons and because of a lack of confidence in the vaccines.
By Oct 3, 97.5% of teachers had been fully vaccinated against the virus.
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