IPOH,Mar 12: Only about 3% of police personnel refused the Covid-19 vaccine and they did it due to health concerns, Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador has clarified.
He said over 95% of the officers were prepared to get themselves inoculated.
Only a small handful, he said, could not receive the vaccine due to existing ailments, adding that some of these personnel were stationed in Kelantan, Kedah and Perak.
“But I will continue to explain to them the benefits of the vaccine based on the views of the health ministry, which is the correct authority to refer to.
“They should not be listening to the ‘bomoh’ (shaman) or the teachings of a deviant sect. If they are followers of such cults, I’ll tell them to leave the force,” he told reporters here.
Hamid went on to encourage police personnel to get themselves vaccinated unless they were advised against doing so by the health department because of medical reasons.
His comments came a day after it was reported that Kelantan police had detected some police personnel who refused to be vaccinated.
Kelantan police chief Shafien Mamat said the matter was detected through the letters of consent that had to be signed by them before receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
These police personnel, he said, would be called up soon to find out more details on why they refused to receive the vaccine.
Shafien also said only those suffering from asthma and chronic diseases as well as those who were pregnant were exempted.
