Motion to debate supply of rabies vaccine rejected
Deputy Speaker Ismail Mohamed Said tells Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen that health ministry has carried out various measures to curb the problem.
Deputy Speaker Ismail Mohamed Said said the health ministry has carried out various measures to curb the problem.
“You have said that you have already received a reply from the Speaker. Your request has been rejected,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat.
However, while explaining the matter, he was interupted by Chong who said he was not pleased with the decision.
“YB when you were talking, I did not interupt but when I am giving a ruling, you need to be patient,” Ismail said.
Chong said he was raising the issue as rabies had claimed five lives so far in Sarawak.
“I have received the letter from the Speaker but I feel the clarification cannot be accepted because the matter also comes under the veterinary department too,” Chong said.
Chong said the issue on the lack of the anti-rabbies vaccine needed to be debated further.
“We need to discuss the issue further and in detail,” he added.
Several days earlier Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam told opposition MPs not to create panic as the ministry had enough anti-rabies vaccines in its stockpile.
He had said it was an attempt by the opposition, particularly from Sarawak, to exploit the situation politically and misrepresent facts to mislead the people.
Subramaniam had also said the ministry had only used around 2,000 out of 8,000 vaccines in its stockpile for humans.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram
Meanwhile, around 17,800 animals have been vaccinated by the veterinary services department.