'Hugging' queue outside PPV: DPM wants authorities to take action
Shocked by the scenes of the crowd outside the Rumah Prihatin Grand Seasons Hotel vaccination centre (PPV) in Kuala Lumpur today, Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he hopes authorities can prevent such situations from reoccurring.
He was referring to a viral video, slightly over seven minutes long, which showed a long line of people outside the building. The people were queuing up so closely that they were hugging each other at one point...
Shocked by the scenes of the crowd outside the Rumah Prihatin Grand Seasons Hotel vaccination centre (PPV) in Kuala Lumpur today, Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he hopes authorities can prevent such situations from reoccurring.
He was referring to a viral video, slightly over seven minutes long, which showed a long line of people outside the building. The people were queuing up so closely that they were hugging each other at one point.
“I am shocked to see the video of the situation at the Rumah Prihatin Hotel Grand Seasons today which was so crowded that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been abandoned.
“I hope the authorities can ensure such situations where foreign workers are packed like this will not occur again because it can cause the spread of the disease.
“I will contact the relevant ministries and the police so that this incident can be handled immediately,” Ismail said in a posting on his Instagram today.
In a separate statement, Dang Wangi district police chief Noor Dellhan Yahaya said they have since deployed a compliance team to the PPV to control the situation.
“Word has been spread to the public in attendance to observe social distancing and wear face masks as stated in the SOPs.
“The compliance team had successfully controlled the situation at the centre until the vaccination program was over,” he said.
The accompanying caption in the video, which cuts to different scenes several times, states that it was taken by a married couple who were riding on a motorbike on their way to Kampung Baru when they saw the crowd outside the PPV.
With his motorbike helmet still on, the husband is shown standing a distance away from the queuing crowd and shouting at them to socially distance.
At one point, the husband is talking angrily into the camera, urging International Trade and Industries Minister Azmin Ali to “do something” about the situation, as they noted that most of those queuing up were foreign citizens.
A few police officers then approached the man, who then asked the police to intervene in the situation outside the PPV, before the couple left.
After leaving, the irate husband is seen speaking directly to the camera again, saying that there were police patrol cars parked near the building who were not controlling the situation outside the PPV.
Instead, he claimed the police had questioned them for parking their motorbike by the roadside and for taking a video of the crowd.
“Why are you so concerned about my motorbike parked on the yellow line, but not concerned about those violating the SOPs, those hundreds of people who were lining up and hugging each other,” the man asked.
“Why is it that those with power do not know how to use their powers in such situations? From the ministers to the police, all of them do not know how to use their powers.
"People are dying. Use your powers,” implored the man, who at this point had started sobbing.
The couple said they returned to the area after 40 minutes to see if the situation had improved. While it did not seem to be as crowded as earlier, there was still a sizeable number of people lingering outside the building without socially distancing.
A shorter version of the video, lasting about two minutes and 20 seconds, had been uploaded onto Twitter, where it has also gone viral.
Rumah Prihatin, in a statement later said there had been a misunderstanding caused by the news that the PPV provided walk-in vaccinations for non-Malaysian citizens.
“That is why there was an extraordinary ‘rush crowd’ that was beyond the expectations of the management and enforcement,” the statement read.
The only PPV accepting walk-in vaccinations for non-Malaysians is actually at the Bukit Jalil Stadium PPV.
Rumah Prihatin said they had initially worked with the police and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall to disperse the crowd, but the foreign citizens did not want to leave. The situation eventually came under control, they said.
“Rumah Prihatin regrets what happened and will increase compliance of the SOP with the help of the authorities to ensure such an incident will not occur again.
“We would like to stress that Rumah Prihatin only accepts walk-in vaccinations for Malaysian citizens only, with priority given to senior citizens, people with disabilities and vulnerable groups,” they said.
