He said the OKU Sentral drive-through vaccination centre (PPV) here, for example, currently has about 100 volunteers helping in the smooth running of the Covid-19 vaccination process involving the disabled.

“The daily allowance increase from RM50 to RM100 is also given to these volunteers,” he told a press conference after visiting the OKU Sentral drive-through PPV at Menara Sime Darby Plantation here today.

Also present was OKU Sentral president Ras Adiba Radzi and women, family and community development minister Rina Harun.

At a press conference in Tangkak, Johor, on Tuesday, the prime minister announced that the daily allowance for healthcare volunteers involved in the vaccination process had been increased to RM100 in appreciation of their contributions.

Ras Adiba welcomed the increased allowance for volunteers, saying it will boost their spirit to continue to provide the best service to the special group.

“OKU Sentral has helped a lot of OKU friends out there, especially at the PPV, and they have been doing it voluntarily.

“Therefore, the assistance (allowance) given will definitely help our work and encourage us to help more disabled people out there,” she said.

Ras Adiba, who is also Bernama chairman, said OKU Sentral could not register its volunteers under the Malaysia Vaccine Support Volunteers initiative because the registration period had expired.

However, she said out of a sense of responsibility, OKU Sentral volunteers continue to serve the OKU community as they realise that the group needs assistance to get vaccinated.

Separately, Muhyiddin said there were 579,150 persons with disabilities registered with the Social Welfare Department and 280,904 of them had registered for vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of June 20.

Of the total, he said 15,914 had received their first dose and 3,859 had been fully vaccinated.

The prime minister also repeated his statement that the issue of vaccine supply was not only faced by Malaysia but also other countries due to the monopoly by developed nations.

“Even though we have signed (the contracts) for the number of vaccine doses needed, only half of it has arrived.

“We have the capacity but we don’t have enough vaccines. That is why I have ordered health minister Dr Adham Baba and science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin to negotiate with all suppliers,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the government will continue negotiating to ensure that all the vaccine doses secured will be received so that the country achieves herd immunity by the end of this year.