Awang Tengah addresses the press conference. Seated at right is Assistant Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industry Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais.
KUCHING (July 7): Manufacturing companies in Sarawak with over 1,500 employees can apply for the Covid-19 industrial vaccination centre (PPVIN) programme through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industry Terminal and Entrepreneur Development, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
He said his ministry is working closely with business associations to get as many companies as possible to participate in the PPVIN programme.
“For companies with fewer than 1,500 employees, they can combine and apply for PPVIN to be set up at a centralised location such as a shopping mall or university premises,” he told a press conference after visiting the PPVIN at tHe Spring shopping mall today.
He said 24,469 employees from Sarawak’s manufacturing sector have received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine as of July 6.
“As part of the government’s efforts to expedite Covid-19 vaccination, PPVIN are being set up for the manufacturing, plantation, services such as shopping malls and tourism, construction, as well as oil and gas sector to facilitate the vaccination exercise of employees in the private sector,” said Awang Tengah.
He added 236 companies in the manufacturing sector have registered to participate in the PPVIN programme.
The companies from six main business associations have a total of 43,050 employees.
They are 47 companies from Samalaju Industrial Investors Association (SIIA) with 10,051 employees, 24 from the Sarawak Electronics and Supporting Industries Companies Association (Seca) with 11,127 employees, 45 from the Sarawak Association of Maritime Industries (Samin) with 2,448 employees, 64 from the Sarawak Timber Association (STA) with 13,423 employees, 30 from the Sarawak Manufacturers Association (SMA) with 2,565 employees, and 26 from the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) with 3,345 employees.
From today, Awang Tengah said another 5,478 employees from the manufacturing sector are expected to be vaccinated in Kuching, Miri, and Sibu.
A total of 2,565 employees from SMA and 484 employees from STA will be vaccinated at tHe Spring Shopping Mall, while 161 employees from FMM will be vaccinated at Mydin Vista Tunku.
In Miri, he said 603 employees from STA, 375 employees from FMM, and 117 employees from the Miri Shipyard Association will be vaccinated at Emart Riam.
Another 74 employees from Miri Shipyard Association will be vaccinated at Miri Port.
In Sibu, Awang Tengah said 1,099 employees from STA will be vaccinated at Ta Ann Plywood Sdn Bhd’s premises.
“For Samalaju, a total of 9,260 employees have completed their first dose of Covid-19 vaccination. Tentatively, they will commence for the second dose vaccination from July 17-23,” he said.
At Sama Jaya High Tech Park, Awang Tengah said 11,127 employees have already received their first dose and will be completing their vaccination doses from July 15-25.
As for Sibu, he said 4,082 individuals in the manufacturing sector had been vaccinated since June 28 at the University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) PPVIN, involving 1,402 employees from Samin, 2,655 employees from STA, and 25 employees from FMM.