KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin hopes that the authorities can expedite investigations and prosecutions against anti-vaccination groups.
He said the ministry has lodged several police reports against these groups, but they were still at large and have persisted in spreading fake news while threatening efforts in public health.
"The Health Ministry has lodged several police reports on anti-vaxxers. We hope that follow up action (investigation, prosecution and others) could be sped up. This group continues to spread fake news, threaten public health and is annoying."
He was responding to a Tweet by the ministry's family health expert Dr Sakinah Sulong, who asked whether the group was immune to legal repercussions.
She also asked the anti-vaxxers about how long they wanted to continue upholding their opinion on vaccination matters.
"Am I the only one 'yang rasa' antivaccine group kat Malaysia ni kebal sekebal-kebalnya. Even mantan PM, Presiden Umno pun turun naik mahkamah, tapi antivaksin ni lebih hebat lagi. Petik nama menteri sesuka hati."
(Am I the only one who feels these Malaysian anti-vaxxers are indestructible? Even the former prime minister, the Umno president go up and down to attend court; but these anti-vaxxers think they are greater than them. They drop a minister's name as they please.)
Dr Sakinah said that although anti-vaxxers continue to spread lies, there has been no action against them.
"NO ACTION. Sampai bila (until when)?"
Dr Sakinah also uploaded a screenshot of anti-vaxxer groups' conversations on Telegram where they claimed that a teenager who received the Covid-19 inoculation had suffered severe side effects and as a result, died.
Last Friday, Khairy on his Twitter announced that the ministry has been instructed to lodge police reports as well as complaints to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission on those it viewed as spreading anti-vaccine statements.