ACCORDING to latest official figures, 99% of individuals above the age of 18 in the country have had their first jab and 97.8% of individuals have been fully vaccinated.

If those data are taken seriously, committed anti-vaxxers in this country are only around 1%, which constitutes a paltry 230,000 plus.

Vaccination for adolescents is even more impressive given that it was only approved less than four months ago. Almost 91% of schoolers were partially vaccinated while at least 2.7 million (88.1%) have taken two doses.

If there is a perceived “threat” from anti-vaxxers, which some deemed dangerous enough to overwhelm public healthcare, the data should suggest the opinion held by anti-vaxxers in this country is not getting traction and remains at the fringes of public mind.

The government, as of now, still believes in the policy of voluntary vaccination and this is precisely why the public still must give consent to the government for getting jabbed.

So far, vaccine mandates are only applicable to civil servants and disciplinary actions would be enforced for those who remain unvaccinated after November 1, 2021.

While National Recovery Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin once mooted the idea of vaccine mandate but the minuscule numbers of those who refused vaccination, which he himself has confided, certainly does not merit a policy that grants the state power in penalising unvaccinated individuals.

Aside from the complicated question of infringement of liberty, does the Malaysian public have confidence that this government could enforce such controversial rules without fear or favour?

If the public is concerned about how the Act 342 amendment could lead to harsher and yet double standard punishment for Covid-19 rule offenders, there is every chance a vaccine mandate would only disproportionately penalise those who are disadvantaged or even common citizens for having different opinions about vaccines.

To some people – including myself – the vaccination issue is completely straightforward.

The scientific facts behind vaccination should be beyond any reasonable doubt and both local and international experts have all agreed that vaccination is the most effective tool against Covid-19, unless you are contemplating another economic lockdown of which the economic and social consequences are immeasurable.

Yet, it is only normal, or some would say human nature, that a society composed of countless individuals with manifold thoughts and opinions is bound to disagree on a major policy about injecting a vaccine that is relatively new and unfamiliar into everyone’s body.

The way we think about and speak to these minorities is vital if we intend to minimise divisions in Malaysia.

For starters, compared with other countries that have a problem addressing vaccine gaps, Malaysia’s vaccination rate should stand as a governmental success.

This serves as a rather pleasant surprise as the public appears to be largely supportive of even a paternalistic government’s vaccination drive during its peak last year.

Lest we forget, this was the same public that raised white and black flags and lampooned Muhyiddin’s government.

It is certainly peculiar that people are still forming long lines in front of mega vaccination centres even though the state at that time suffered a severe trust deficit. This might be that the public views vaccination as the only way out from the haphazard and inconsistent lockdowns that defined Muhyiddin’s tenure as prime minister, which also indirectly accelerated the vaccination rate.

Coupled with the data provided, the problem of anti-vaxxers at the very least is not as severe as it seems in Malaysia.

We also should be wary and differentiate from those who are hesitant about vaccination and downright hostility. This is where I believe Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who has been instrumental and exemplary in leading the vaccination programme, may have erred.

While anti-vaxxers spreading fake news is a problem that deserves to be addressed, the hostility displayed by the Health Ministry is equally not helpful in bridging the divide between the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

The way Khairy responded to anti-vaxxers in the form of ridicule and sarcasm is unbecoming of a minister but also paints the latter as either a reckless fool or a disciple of conspiracy theories, which are detrimental to public health.

Yet even if 97% of adult vaccination could not guarantee an immunity from the virus and the nation facing another possible lockdown, that surely is not the fault of anti-vaxxers but rather the resilience of the Covid-19 variant and inefficacy of the vaccine.

And it is worth repeating that Malaysia does not have an anti-vaccination problem as of now because of the number of them.

However, the policy of booster-dosing and the sudden loss of fully vaccinated status for Sinovac recipients are also new information that may see people grow increasingly hesitant or even hostile towards further vaccination.

After all, the public was previously told only the two doses of vaccination are required without any mention of a third jab.

This is also where the continuous derision and scorn against anti-vaxxers would not help the cause but rather push those who are now vaccine-hesitant to become anti-vaxxers.

After an epidemic spanning two years, it is completely understandable for the public to be wary and insecure about what is being injected into their body and patience and empathy should be exercised towards these people.

After all, if any anti-vaxxers or vaccine-hesitant folk are persuaded, it is a small but meaningful gain in ensuring as many Malaysians are vaccinated.    

The emergence of the Delta and Omicron variants is a new challenge that might have to be addressed by further vaccinations, but the government must also not assume the jab policy as a fait accompli where those who may have reservations about vaccinations are treated with contempt.

The way the government handles the anti-vaxxers tells us a lot about how the government is treating those who may not necessarily agree with them. – January 16, 2022.

* Kenneth Cheng has always been interested in the interplay between human rights and government but more importantly he is a father of two cats, Tangyuan and Toufu. When he is not attending to his feline matters, he is most likely reading books about politics and human rights or playing video games. He is a firm believer in the dictum “power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will”.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.