PEJUANG chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has received an offer from a donor for a China-made Covid-19 vaccine to inoculate 75,000 people in his constituency, Langkawi.

He declined to name the vaccine but hinted that it had not yet been approved for use in Malaysia and urged the government to approve it without any fuss.

“We have been offered to vaccinate all 75,000 residents in Langkawi with a vaccine that is effective against the normal and Delta variants of Covid-19.

“So, we hope the government doesn’t delay the approval by giving us a tough time just because the vaccine is coming from China,” the former prime minister said in a virtual press conference today. 

The Langkawi MP said the vaccine offered has already been administered on more than 100 million people in China and that it was found to be effective against the Delta variant.

He said the vaccine has yet to be approved in Malaysia, and said waiting for clinical trials will take “too long”. 

“Approval is important to the people of Langkawi, as this will allow them to resume accepting travellers to the island. 

“Since I’m the MP for Langkawi, of course I would want to take care of the people in my constituency. 

“However, the benefits will not only be for the people of Langkawi. If it is successful in Langkawi, then it can be expanded to the whole of Malaysia.”

Currently, the only China-made vaccines approved for use in Malaysia are Sinovac and CanSino. CanSino, however, has yet to be administered here. – July 8, 2021.