KUALA LUMPUR: Ministries must team up with one another to better address the current Covid-19 pandemic rather than letting certain ministries take the centrestage during this outbreak.
Alliance for Safe Community Chairman Lee Lam Thye said considering the current challenges to achieve herd immunity in the country, it is important for all ministries to contribute based on their capabilities.
"In all our efforts, we must remember to be proactive, rather than reactive.
"For that, we must marshal all Ministries — not just the Health and Home Affairs Ministries — to pool their resources and address their minds for novel solutions.
"Each of them can contribute in their unique and special ways to show they care and that they are also part of the solution," he said in a statement today.
To achieve the desired herd immunity, Lee said Putrajaya must leave no stone unturned to accelerate the right measures and efforts in regards to the country's vaccination plan.
Despite being under the second nationwide lockdown, Lee pointed out that the number of daily Covid-19 cases continues to soar, giving an impression that there has not been much success in isolating the deadly virus.
"Part of the reason for this is the appearance of variants like the Delta variant and the rising number of sporadic and asymptomatic cases.
"Everybody agrees that we have to ramp up our vaccination efforts.
"Much has already been done, with the opening of more mega vaccination centres and making it easier for those in the urban areas to receive the vaccines while mobile trucks or vans have been mobilised to vaccinate folks in the rural areas including the orang asli."
Based on the current immunisation process, Lee said it appeared that achieving herd immunity is "still a long way off", adding that Malaysia can probably expect only 10 per cent of the population to be vaccinated by mid-July.
On top of that, he also urged for more testings to be done for both the rapid antigen test kits and the PCR tests.
"Is it a lack of vaccines, or a lack of finances, or a lack of facilities that is preventing us from increasing the number of vaccinations to say, 400,000 doses per day?
"Worldwide, there is no shortage of vaccines. But because there is no vaccine equity, some nations are hoarding way more than they need.
"Isn't it possible for us to negotiate with these countries to release some of their excess vaccines, either at a cost or as a humanitarian gesture?"