MPs debate control price of COVID-19 test kits, vaccination issues

KUALA LUMPUR: Issues relating to the rising prices of COVID-19 detection self-test kits as well as vaccinations were among the matters raised by several MPs during the debate on the Royal Address at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Steven Sim Chee Keong (PH-Bukit Mertajam) suggested that the government set the price of the COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits (RTK-Ag) to under RM 5 and to provide subsidies for the polymerase chain reaction tests (RT-PCR) by setting prices under RM100.

He felt that if the country was serious about transitioning to the endemic phase, Malaysians should be provided with easy access to every necessity to face the disease.

According to him, screening test kits, whether RT-PCR or RTK-Ag, were among the important necessities, including face masks, hand sanitisers and oximeters.

Meanwhile, Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah) said that the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) needed to set a retail ceiling price for self-test kits at an affordable level for M40 and B40 groups.

"From (early) December, the test kits have been sold for under RM5 even without the government setting a ceiling price of under RM5 at that time, but with rising cases, they have started selling at prices of RM8 to RM9, with some even higher due to high demand," he said.

This has resulted in low-income families being unable to buy the test kits and further affect efforts to control the pandemic.

Therefore, he said the ministry needed to review the setting of the ceiling price to under RM10 or RM5 so that traders do not take advantage and raise prices of the test kits as demand rises due to the spike in COVID cases.

The goverment had set the maximum retail price for RTK-Ag test kits at RM19.90 from RM39.90 in September last year.

M Karupaiya (PH-Padang Serai) meanwhile urged KPDNHEP to identify the cause behind the shortage of self-test kits in the market that has burdened Malaysians.

On the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), Chan Foong Hin (PH-Kota Kinabalu) said the vaccination process in Sabah needed to be intensified as the vaccination rate in the state was still low, as well as booster dose vaccinations and vaccinations for children.

"The vaccination rate for children aged five till 11 in Sabah is only 12.5 per cent compared to 24.8 per cent nationally and the vaccination rate for teens is 69.5 per cent compared to the national rate of 90 per cent.

"The vaccination rate for adults in Sabah is 77.5 per cent compared to the national rate of 97.5 per cent, making it the state with the lowest vaccination rate," he said at Dewan Rakyat today.

The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA