THE government will “continue to make life difficult” for individuals who refuse to get the Covid-19 jab, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

However, those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons will be fine as they will be provided with a digital exemption certificate, he added.

“Sorry to say, if you are not vaccinated because you choose not to be vaccinated, then we will make life very difficult for you and continue to make life difficult for you.

“Cannot dine-in at restaurants, cannot go into shopping centres, and we will be releasing a national testing strategy next week… then we will probably ask you to take regular tests, for which you have to pay. The message is to get vaccinated.”

Khairy said individuals who are required to take a booster shot for umrah or to meet conditions of other countries can send in their application to the Health Ministry, adding that he expects the shot to be administered from this month.

He also said his ministry is in talks with certain countries to not practise discrimination pertaining to the Covid-19 vaccine, as the United Kingdom (UK) allows only Malaysians who have received the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines to enter its borders without the need for quarantine.

“Rather than having to revaccinate Malaysians who want to go to the UK without quarantine… treat all the vaccines, at least those listed for emergency use under the World Health Organisation, the same.

“Like the UK, it is considering our request. Hopefully, it will agree, and the same (goes for) Saudi Arabia. In any case, we will give the booster shot, but the easier and better solution is to have no discrimination as far as the vaccine is concerned.” – Bernama, October 16, 2021.