Amid deep political dysfunction, how did Malaysia pull together its coronavirus vaccine plan?

Science minister Khairy Jamaluddin has become the face of Kuala Lumpur’s public health drive, and he – and PM Muhyiddin Yassin’s government – stand to benefit from its success

But while the country has secured enough doses to vaccinate 80 per cent of its population by early next year, analysts say the political infighting will continue behind the scenes

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Medical workers process swab samples for Covid-19 tests in Selangor, Malaysia. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:30pm, 23 Feb 2021Updated: 12:18am, 24 Feb 2021

After a year of political turmoil, economic struggle and coronavirus-induced lockdowns, Malaysia is poised for the endgame of its fight against Covid-19 as it kicked off a first round of vaccinations on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin among those receiving a shot.

The premier’s Perikatan Nasional coalition, which came to power via political coup, is close to the end of a first year in government that has been marked by deep internal dysfunction and threats to its hold on power, including bickering with ostensible allies the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) over primacy ahead of promised elections next year.

Despite this, analysts note, it managed to pull together a national immunisation plan led by science minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who has seen his political popularity rise as the face of the government’s approach to public health – a rather different reception to that of health minister Adham Baba, who has been widely mocked for missteps such as telling the public to drink warm water to counteract Covid-19.

Khairy, a member of Umno and an Oxford graduate, is at the centre of a plan that will cost more than 4 billion ringgit (US$988.9 million) once all procurement and roll-out costs are totted up. With vaccines from at least six different sources and more in the works, Perikatan Nasional is confident it has enough for 80 per cent of the country’s population, including foreign residents as well as refugees – and, accordingly, that it will reap any political benefit.