KUALA LUMPUR: The offer to donate and pay for the supply of two million doses of the Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine to the Penang state government allegedly made by a private company is bogus.
Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) Khairy Jamaluddin said the conclusion that the offer was a form of scam was made after conducting a company search on the private company allegedly based in Hong Kong as well as the supplier of the vaccine, which is Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Khairy, who is also the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said a search for the company's record in Hong Kong showed it did not exist.
"The woman named as the international sales officer for Sinovac Biotech in the letter, dated February this year, by the private company to the Penang state government also confirmed that she did not handle the Asian market.
"She had also denied she had been contacted over the donation (by the private company to procure two million doses of the Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine for the Penang state government).
"(Based on checks conducted by the ministry) I can conclude what is shown by Penang chief minister (Chow Kon Yeow during a press conference in Penang yesterday) on the donation for two million doses of vaccine is a scam, bogus and not true at all," said Khairy during a press conference that was conducted virtually today.
Khairy also expressed his disappointment on the accusation made by Chow and former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng that the Federal Government had deliberately stood in the way of the state government obtaining the vaccine.
"This is a serious allegation against the Federal Government.
"And I have related the matter (on the scam by the private company) to the Penang chief minister and Lim. Do not politicise the NIP with this rubbish
"Having said that, I am ready to be proven wrong," he said.
Khairy also stressed the ministry welcomed if there were any quarters who wanted to assist the Federal and state governments obtain supplies of the Covid-19 vaccines.
"However, it must be made according to the respective regulatory bodies since the vaccines are a controlled item.
"It is not like some sort of a t-shirt where you can buy directly from Shopee," he said.