COVID: Muhyiddin jokes with Orang Asli to help allay fears of vaccination

MUAR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin managed to spend time joking with a group of Orang Asli who came to get their vaccine shots at the Pagoh Multipurpose Hall vaccination centre (PPV) here today and help allay their fears before being inoculated.

The Pagoh Member of Parliament was present at the PPV to observe the process of vaccinating the local community as well as the facilities provided at the centre, including a bus that is used as a mobile vaccination unit.

He used the opportunity to ask the Orang Asli whether or not they were afraid of being inoculated.

"Okay or not, are you scared?," he asked them before one of them immediately replied: "Actually, we are afraid."

It is understood that 38 Orang Asli from Kampung Searak Api, Pagoh and Kampung Sentosa, Lenga were scheduled to receive their vaccine jabs today.

Muhyiddin, who spent about 30 minutes visiting the PPV, was accompanied by his wife Puan Sri Norainee Abdul Rahman, Bukit Kepong state assemblyman Dr Sahruddin Jamal and Muar District Health officer Dr Noorhaida Ujang.

Meanwhile, one of the Orang Asli, 34-year-old Ida Kandi said she was surprised and excited when greeted by the Prime Minister, especially since this is the first time she has come face-to-face with the country's top leader.

"I was so happy that I was speechless... I came with my husband to get vaccinated and, by chance, he (the Prime Minister) came and greeted me. So, I was stunned for a while, but then I was a bit emboldened," she told reporters after getting her vaccine jab.

Ida, who admitted to being afraid of being injected with a needle, said she still went ahead anyway for the sake of her family's health and safety.

The Pagoh Multipurpose Hall PPV, which has been operating since June 6, is the second (non-health) PPV in the Muar district after Dewan Maharani and is capable of administering 700 doses of vaccine jabs a day through the involvement of 50 workers from various government agencies and 20 volunteers.

According to statistics from the Johor State COVID-19 Vaccination Report, as of Sunday (June 20), a total of 35,490 people have received the first dose of the vaccine while 15,719 have completed both doses in Muar.

-- BERNAMA