Getting vaccinated is the key for us to walk out of Covid-19 pandemic. However, there are still a handful of them who choose not to be vaccinated due to several reasons.
With that, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has reminded employers to not impose mandatory vaccination requirements on their employees, nor to penalise those who refused to be vaccinated.
SUHAKAM proposed that employers should instead provide incentive for their employees to get vaccinated.
Meanwhile, SUHAKAM said they had received a number of complaints involving discriminations in the form of restrictions imposed on employees who remain unvaccinated.
The discriminatory actions included not allowing the employees to return to work, being compelled to pay for their own tests, and movement restrictions when they enter office premises.
“Suhakam calls on the government to take immediate measures to address such issues by having a balanced approach between public health priorities and the right to be treated fairly without discrimination.” they said in a statement posted on Facebook yesterday (25 September).
“Additionally, the government could look into the possibility of expanding the role and function of the Covid-19 mediation centre (PMC-19) to include assistance for employees who are disputing issues related to the pandemic, including their vaccination status, with their employers.”
However, SUHAKAM had welcomed the recent government announcement to relax the restrictions on the fully vaccinated which allow them access to various venues, dine-in and undertake domestic travel, among others.
They had also agreed that the government should impose certain restrictions on persons who are yet to complete their vaccination and others who choose not to be vaccinated as this was necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
“The public should realise that these steps are mainly to protect the people. They may also serve as an incentive for people to obtain vaccination.”
“Such restrictions, however, should not hinder anyone from enjoying their basic human rights, including access to education, food and medical treatment, among others.” they said.
Nonetheless, SUHAKAM stressed that these restrictions should only be enforced as a temporary measure until such time when herd immunity had been achieved or when the pandemic transitions to an endemic phase.
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Read the statement from SUHAKAM here:
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