GEORGE TOWN: Khairy Jamaluddin's allegation that the offer of two million doses of Sinovac vaccine to the Penang government was by a bogus company is a serious matter, says Chow Kon Yeow.

The Penang Chief Minister said the serious allegation warrants the company and its director named by the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister to come forward to refute the allegations.

"As for the state government, we took prudent action - when we received the offer through a letter dated Feb 1 this year - by asking the state Health Department to look into the matter.

"The state Health Department then requested that the matter be presented to the Health Ministry for further advice," he said in a statement on Wednesday (May 19).

Chow said state secretary Datuk Abdul Razak Jaafar also sent a letter to Putrajaya on Feb 15 asking advice from the Health Ministry on the use of Covid-19 vaccines through contribution from private companies.

He said the state government then got the reply on March 12 from the Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah telling the state government it is not to proceed with the offer because the Federal Government has drafted and implemented the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

He said in the letter, Mohd Shafiq did not even touch on the status of the company.

"The state government, therefore, was unable to proceed with the matter as we could not submit the Health Ministry accreditations to the company to enable them to proceed with the negotiations with the vaccine producer," he said.

Chow had brought the matter up on May 18 when he questioned why the Health Ministry could not give accreditations to the state government based on the reply letter from the ministry secretary-general, whereas at the same time Selangor and Sarawak had reportedly bought vaccines for their usage.

He urged the alleged company to explain and show related evidence to clear their image and name.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/05/19/penang-vaccine-donation-cm-urges-company-named-to-come-forward-following-bogus-claim