Allow those unvaccinated for medical reasons to travel, says Sarawak party

SIBU: Individuals who are unvaccinated for medical reasons should be allowed to travel between districts in Sarawak with strict standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance.

Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 7) the party had received many complaints about the directive from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on Oct 5, prohibiting citizens who are not fully vaccinated from inter-district travel.

Voon said this directive did not take into consideration citizens who could not be vaccinated owing to medical conditions.

"Such restrictions against those who could not get vaccinated for medical reasons are inconsiderate, unreasonable, arbitrary and against the Federal Constitution," he said.

He added that such a prohibition is also against individuals' right of movement and may affect their livelihood if they prevented from travelling for work or business.

Instead of stopping these individuals, he suggested SDMC require them to be thoroughly compliant with SOPs.

Furthermore, they could be made to travel alone, or only with family members, or with a limited number of people in their vehicles.

If they travel by plane, they must double-mask and wear gloves, he added.

Voon also quoted Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin who had said that individuals who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical conditions can obtain digital exemption certificates.

"However, some complained that doctors could not, or refused to certify their medical conditions for issuance of these certificates because they did not have any guidelines from the relevant authorities on how to do this," he said.

Without such guidelines, he said, those who are eligible for exemption certificates are being discriminated against.

He claimed that some affected individuals had raised their plight with the authorities but nothing had been done.

Voon hoped the SDMC would look into their problems seriously so that citizens in need of help will not suffer physical and mental stress.