ANY fair-minded Malaysian would acknowledge that the Perikatan Nasional government under Muhyiddin Yassin has succeeded relatively well in running this country since it took over a year ago.

Despite the difficult, challenging times brought on by Covid-19, it has proven its ability to steer the country to its best surviving position through endless aid plans worth billions, especially those for vulnerable groups and businesses.

The assistance keeps coming in, in keeping with the government’s focus on assisting people continuously through incentives, strategies and programmes.

Malaysia is now probably at the tail end of fighting the pandemic – the year-long roll-out immunisation programme. 

Hopefully, all the government’s good work and plans will not go down the drain or be disrupted by the irresponsible actions of some people, the healthy and the wealthy, or the politicians who “jumped queue” to get the vaccine, despite not necessarily being in the priority groups.

Already, there are several reports about these queue jumpers.

Social media is abuzz with complaints of politicians, especially, and their aides, cutting queue for the vaccine following its roll-out recently.

In one such complaint, officials from the Kelantan state secretariat were said to be jumping the queue ahead of the front liners.

How selfish and irresponsible can they be!

While front liners, in particular medical officers and health personnel, have been working tirelessly, almost 24/7, to treat Covid-19 patients since the outbreak of the pandemic early last year, how can these scumbags simply cut the queue, without due consideration given to those in the priority groups?

They should not have expected things to work only in their favour.

The government has prepared a detailed, comprehensive plan on who will be getting it first and how long the whole process will take.

These people should not ruin or disrupt the government’s plans simply for their own, selfish selves!

Their actions should not pose a snag to the government’s otherwise people-friendly move to make the vaccines available for almost 27 million Malaysians.

A number of Malaysians have been sharing “incidents” of queue-jumping, including on social media, and the cases are quite worrying, to say the least.

These individuals surely lack empathy for other people.

And this has prompted the government, via the relevant ministries, to say that fines are being mulled for those caught jumping the queue for the vaccine.

It is right and timely that the government has set up a special committee to probe complaints of queue-jumping. At least it is something, rather than nothing, in dealing with this inconsiderate, selfish lot. 

It is quite embarrassing, yet funny, that even the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has to go to the extent of listing those who are not included in the list under the first phase of the immunisation programme.

State executive councillors, menteris besar, state secretaries, family members and spouses of cabinet ministers and lawmakers, take note.

The minister has said you are not among those included in the list.

Everyone is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

No one is spared.

We are all in this together.

Don’t jump the vaccine queue.

Wait for your turn.

Don’t think only about yourself and be considerate to others! – March 2, 2021.

*S. Mohan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.