Those who don't comply will face disciplinary action
Unvaccinated federal civil servants in Malaysia have been given until the end of the month to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or risk facing punishments, according to the country's Public Service Department (PSD.)
PSD published on Facebook a statement that orders all of its federal civil servants to get the jabs.
"All Federal Civil Service officers are requested to immediately complete their vaccinations by November 1, 2021," said the PSD in Malaysian.
Those who don’t comply will face disciplinary action, according to the department, while exemptions can only be granted based on medical grounds.
The call was made to further expand the vaccinated number of public servants, with nearly 98% already immunised against COVID-19. The remaining 1.6% or a total of 16,902 unvaccinated workers can get their jabs from vaccination centres set up by the government.
Read more: Malaysia to vaccinate workers crossing into Singapore
The PSD said the mandate seeks to boost public confidence in the jabs, and to ensure that federal workers can continue doing their jobs smoothly.
Malaysia has been touted by media outlets for having one of the highest vaccination rates across Southeast Asia. According to Channel News Asia, 61% of its 32 million population are already fully immunised against COVID-19.
The country is planning on re-opening its economy this month, according to The Straits Times. This includes easing of local travel restrictions once vaccination rate among adults reaches 90% - a target the country is inching towards as the current figure among adults is at 85.7%, reported the Times.
Malaysia has reported over 2.2 million COVID-19 cases, with 11,889 new infections reported on Friday, according to Channel news Asia.
