OFFICIALS must make consistent statements on the country’s Covid-19 immunisation plan, said think-tank Centre for Market Education.

Its CEO, Dr Carmelo Ferlito, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah have made contradictory statements on vaccination.

The minister said the vaccine is compulsory while Noor Hisham said the ban on interstate and inter-district travel remains until at least 70% of the population is vaccinated.

“The two positions are in clear conflict. In fact, while Dr Noor Hisham’s statement does not mention vaccine obligatoriness, it implies it de facto.

“If Malaysians cannot even think about inter-district travel with mass vaccination, this means that vaccination becomes hiddenly compulsory,” Ferlito said in a statement.

The conflicting positions make it difficult people and business to make rational and informed decisions, he said.

The issue must be clarified or there can be potential negative effects, such as the tourism industry’s collapse and forcing domestic and foreign investors to take a “wait and see” approach.

This, in turn, will negatively impact on economy recovery and employment rates.

The lack of clarity could also cause psychological stress on people, Ferlito added.

Noor Hisham made his remarks about the continuing ban on inter-state and inter-district travel until mass vaccination is achieved on Friday, while Khairy, who is also the coordinating minister for the vaccination programme, has been stressing that it is voluntary.

Bangi MP and former deputy international trade and industry minister Dr Ong Kian Ming also expressed the same concerns for livelihood and the economy because of Noor Hisham’s remarks.

“His statement raises many questions that the government must answer.

“Was his view conveyed to the National Security Council? Was it made with any consideration about the impact to the economy?” Ong said in a statement.

“Given that it will take until December 2021, at the earliest, to have 70% of the population vaccinated, what will be the impact to the tourism industry if inter-state travel remains banned until the end of the year?”

Ong said the impact on tourism, services and other sectors will be devastating.

More business will have to close, as impact on the tourism sector will also affect other related sectors, such as food and beverage. – March 1, 2021.