KUALA LUMPUR: Artiste associations Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia (Karyawan) and Persatuan Seniman Malaysia (Seniman) have urged artistes to stay away from the "anti-vaccine" movement.
Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez said that they should instead give their full support to the government's on-going effort to vaccinate Malaysians and keep them safe from Covid-19.
In a news report yesterday, Fernandez described the "anti-vaccine" group as "unwise" and oblivious to the coronavirus' threat to humanity.
He said: "The entertainment industry has been among the worst hit by the pandemic. By right we should be the most supportive of the government's vaccination drive."
Fernandez added: "Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has shown the way by getting himself vaccinated. As Malaysians, we should follow his lead, because it is for our own good.
"If we get vaccinated, it's not just for our safety, but also the safety of those we work with, and our loved ones."
Seniman president Zed Zaidi said while individuals had a choice to get vaccinated or otherwise, it was ridiculous and irresponsible for the "anti-vaccine" group to discourage Malaysians from getting insulated from Covid-19.
"The government has worked hard and spent a lot of money getting the vaccine for all of us. We should give them our wholehearted support via social media, and educate the rakyat on the benefits of getting vaccinated.
"As artistes, we should use our influence on social media to encourage fans to get vaccinated and be safe. We should not join unreasonable naysayers of the vaccine, in fact we should avoid them, because they are ignorant people," said Zed.
The government's on-going vaccination programme, known as the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) is themed "Protect Yourself, Protect Everyone".
It began on Jan 24, with frontliners and low-income families as the first Malaysians to be vaccinated.
Last December, Malaysian doctors urged the public to reject the anti-vaccine groups, and said that they distorted facts about vaccines and their effectiveness without solid proof.