King expresses appreciation to Japanese government for vaccine donation

KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, today expressed his appreciation to the Japanese government for donating one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to help intensify the vaccination process under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

Istana Negara, in a posting on its official Facebook account, stated that His Majesty also expressed his appreciation to Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also PICK Coordinating Minister, and Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, in the efforts.

"Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said that His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah also thanked Japan's Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Oka Hiroshi, for the generosity of the Japanese government in donating one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Malaysia," the statement read.

Istana Negara also said that the contribution clearly demonstrates the friendship and good relations that have been established between the government and the people of the two countries for a long time, and hopefully the supply of this vaccine will help boost the country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and intensify PICK.

His Majesty also called on the people to pray that the country will always be under the protection of Allah, free from calamities and for the COVID-19 pandemic to be brought under control quickly.

Yesterday, one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, produced by AstraZeneca and donated by the Japanese government, arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) via Japan Airlines flight JAL723 (Boeing 787).

With this contribution, the quantity of AstraZeneca vaccine received by Malaysia now stands at 1,828,000 doses as of July 1.

-- BERNAMA