Instead, he said, Pahang’s Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) had decided to vaccinate tourism sector employees from 56 hotels in Kuantan, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, Jerantut, Raub, Mentakab, Bentong, Bukit Tinggi and Fraser’s Hill.

Khairy said in a statement that only those categorised as frontliners received the vaccine in the first phase of the programme, which was managed by the CITF in the respective states.

However, there were several states that assumed they could administer the vaccine to other groups after inoculating all recipients in the first phase, he said.

Khairy was responding to claims on social media that he ordered 1,500 Genting Group workers in Genting Highlands to be vaccinated.

He said the national CITF only found out about Pahang’s decision to vaccinate the group after the jabs were given, adding that he wrote a letter to the Pahang state government on April 12 stating that vaccination lists fall under the jurisdiction of the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee.

“Until any groups are listed, the previous priority list applies,” he added.

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