Malaysian health ministry inks term sheet agreements with two vaccine suppliers
The Malaysian Ministry of Health on January 26 signed term sheet agreements with two vaccine suppliers, Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn Bhd (PLS) and Duopharma (M) Sdn Bhd, for the procurement of 18.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
A testing area in Selangor, Malaysia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)
Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - The MalaysianMinistry of Health on January 26 signed term sheet agreements with two vaccinesuppliers, Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn Bhd (PLS) and Duopharma (M) Sdn Bhd, forthe procurement of 18.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
The ministry said in a statement that PLS willsupply 12 million doses of COVID-19 CORONAVAC, SARS-COV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell)Inactivated produced by Sinovac Life Science Co. Ltd, which will be distributedin stages beginning April.
Duopharma will supply 6.4 million doses of Sputnik Vvaccine, produced by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology andMicrobiology in Russia. The vaccine is expected to be distributed in stages byend-March 2021, it said.
The ministry said for the COVID-19 CORONAVACvaccine, SARS-COV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell) Inactivated, each recipient will begiven two shots 14 days apart.
With the 12 million doses, it expects theimmunisation programme to cover 3.2 million people or 18.75 per cent of theMalaysian population, aged 18 years and above.
As for the Sputnik V vaccine, each recipient willreceive two shots with 21 days interval between the first and second dose, thestatement said, adding the two companies will start supplying the vaccinesafter obtaining approval from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Divisionand the Drug Control Authority./.
Malaysia has announced that the entire country, with the exception of Sarawak, will come under the Movement Control Order (MCO) in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Malaysia has recently filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the European Union (EU)’s rules affecting the consumption of palm oil-based biofuels.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
A testing area in Selangor, Malaysia (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) 
