Vaccination refusal: Imam, bilal to be given counselling - Deputy Minister

KOTA BHARU: A group of imams and bilal (muezzins) who refuse to be vaccinated will be contacted by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) in the near future to undergo a counselling session.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary, said the counselling session was to explain the importance of vaccination and that it does not bring harm to recipients.

"In some states, certain target groups refuse to get vaccinated as they have been influenced by the propaganda of certain parties. Appropriate action needs to be taken, not legal action but information and clarification, including counselling," he said.

Ahmad Marzuk said this to reporters after officiating the Outstanding Student Award presentation ceremony, via drive-through, at the Parliamentary service centre at Kampung Landak, Pengkalan Chepa, here today.

He said this when asked to comment on a statement issued by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who expressed his disappointment that over 95 religious teachers, 17 mosque officials and jurunikah (marriage officials) in the state refused to get vaccinated, even though Selangor recorded a high number of daily COVID-19 cases.

Ahmad Marzuk said that the anti-vaccine groups' refusal should be taken seriously, as the vaccination is part of the government's efforts to ensure that all groups in society are aware that the country would not only face the current pandemic, but that it may become endemic in the near future.

-- BERNAMA