KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin will not budge despite receiving flak from some quarters over his firm approach against anti-vaccine groups.
Khairy said the government has given sufficient explanations supported by scientific evidence on the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines.
"It is not right to say there were insufficient explanations from the government on the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines.
"From the beginning, we have presented scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccines.
"I am sorry (that) I have to be firm on this issue. Call me dajjal (evil figure) or whatever," said Khairy in a posting on his official Twitter account.
The posting was accompanied by a short clip of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim calling Khairy arrogant over his approach against groups of people who refused to get vaccinated against the virus without reasons.
Although he did not support anti-vaccine groups, Anwar, who is also the Port Dickson member of Parliament, said he did not agree with Khairy's punitive approach against the groups.
"If they (anti-vaccine groups) gave scientific evidence (to justify their reasons for not getting vaccinated), we must respond to it with more stronger and credible scientific facts (on the effectiveness of the vaccines).
"We should not punish or issue threats (against anti-vaccine groups). This is an arrogant approach that we cannot accept," Anwar was heard saying in the clip.
The opposition leader was responding to Khairy's comment against anti-vaccine groups, which the latter made after opening the 11th National Acute Myocardial Infarction Course by the Serdang Hospital on Saturday.
"Sorry to say, we will continue to make life difficult for you if you are not vaccinated because you choose not to," he said.
"If you cannot be vaccinated on health grounds, that's fine and we will give (digital) exemptions through MySejahtera. But if you don't vaccinate yourself by choice, we will continue to make life difficult for you," Khairy had said.
Apart from Anwar, other groups which criticised Khairy over the matter included The National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) and Malaysian Alliance for Effective Covid-19 Control (MAECC).
Nube secretary-general J Solomon said the union condemns any form of discrimination, actions deemed bullying and threatening the dignity of people who refused to get vaccinated.
"The intention relayed by Khairy through the statement that he made over the matter showed his attitude of 'keras kepala' (hard-headedness)," said Solomon.
MAECC in a separate statement said Khairy had crossed the bounds of ministerial decency when the latter issued the statement.