In Johor, BN and PN race to claim credit for Covid-19 vaccination effort
JOHOR POLLS | With a majority of the population vaccinated against Covid-19 and the country showing better resilience in facing the latest wave of infections, both Perikatan Nasional (PN) and BN are now racing to claim the credit.
PN leaders in several campaign events during the Johor polls would often ask if those in attendance have been vaccinated and then credit their shots to PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin's decision to purchase a large stock of Covid-19 vaccine when he was the prime minister.
PN banners proclaiming free Covid-19 vaccines for the people have also gone up accompanied by the coalition's logo.
However, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who joined the Johor campaign trail for BN today, maintained that it is not an exclusive contribution by PN.
"The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) is under the federal government. The federal government comprises BN, PN and GPS.
"It is a programme involving everyone in the government. I think there is no need to turn a national programme into campaign material," he told journalists at the Iskandar Puteri election operations centre in Johor Bahru today.
Other parties can claim credit too
Khairy added that if PN were to claim credit, so can other parties in the government.
"They can claim credit but it's the same, BN can also claim credit. GPS can also claim credit.
"Whoever is part of the government is responsible for the vaccination programme," he said.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin during a dinner with the Chinese community in Johor Bahru touted his decision to purchase every brand of Covid-19 vaccines possible during the early stages to ensure sufficient stock.
"I think today, the people in this hall, 100 percent of them would have received at least two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
"I gave that to you. If I have given to you, you can also give to me lah. I support you, you support me in this Johor election. PN is contesting and you should support us," the former premier had said.
The Omicron wave has caused daily fresh Covid-19 cases to climb to record highs.
While daily deaths have also crept up, they have been less severe than during the Delta wave last year as most of the country is now vaccinated against Covid-19.
KJ defends bringing candidate on work visit
Earlier, Khairy who was once again on a working visit to Johor after an earlier trip on Feb 27, visited the Gelang Patah government health clinic where he also brought a BN candidate along.
However, both of them made it a point not to wear any BN-related clothing although their supporters who were present continued to wear clothing with the BN logo.
Khairy defended bringing BN's candidate for Kota Iskandar Pandak Ahmad (above, left) along, who is facing five other candidates, namely PN's Samsudin Ismail, Pejuang's Zaini Abu Bakar, PSM's R Arangkannal and Pakatan Harapan's Dzulkefly Ahmad who is the incumbent.
"I am on a working visit. I am the minister and they as local leaders - Pandak was a local councillor with the Iskandar Puteri City Council - wanted me to come see the clinic.
"There is no campaign here. I did not announce anything or any new projects. It is just a coincidence that the leader here was a former local councillor and wanted me to see the clinic.
"And the clinic welcomed me as the minister," Khairy said.
He spent some 30 minutes at the clinic listening to the staff's concerns, including issues related to a lack of equipment.
Campaigning for the Johor polls kicked off on Feb 24. Johoreans will go to the polls on March 12.
