The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIA’S RM3 billion budget for Covid-19 vaccines will cover all expenses including transportation and storage, said Khairy Jamaluddin.

“I can categorically state that the suggestions made by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Gua Musang-BN) are unfounded.

“I cannot state the price agreed with Pfizer as it’s under a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) but our agreement is still within our reach of RM3 billion for 70% of the population,” said the science, technology and innovation minister in Dewan Rakyat today.

Khairy told Parliament that the government is negotiating with Pfizer directly and the price will have no additional costs. 

“The RM3 billion is an overall price to include everything such as procurement, storage and transport,” said the Rembau MP during his winding up speech on his ministry’s budget at the committee stage.

The minister was responding to Dr Dzulkefi Ahmad (Kuala Selangor-PH) and Kelvin Yii (Kuching-PH) on their questions about the Covid-19 vaccine Malaysia is planning to buy from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.

Khairy was also responding to Razaleigh, who asked whether the RM3 billion includes storage and transportation costs.

“With an allocation of RM3 billion for procurement of vaccines for the entire country, the Pfizer deal, only covering 20 percent of the population, seems to have used up the entire allocation.

“Perhaps the minister in charge of vaccine procurement should explain the price and estimated costs involved in the Pfizer deal,” the Gua Musang MP had asked in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Dewan Rakyat has approved RM935 million for the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry for 2021.

The budget was passed by voice vote, making it the 14th ministry to have its budget approved at a committee stage.

Dewan Rakyat will continue the Supply Bill committee stage debate on the Tourism, Federal Territory and Environment ministries tomorrow. – December 7, 2020.