KUALA LUMPUR – PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is urging the public to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays and get vaccinated given the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Putting aside all political barriers, the Port Dickson MP pointed at yesterday’s 4,498 infections, telling the public that it is their responsibility to protect themselves, their families and the community.
“We cannot let our Hari Raya celebrations become a reason to forget SOPs.
“This could see our cases rise to the level of India,” he said in a Facebook Live session.
Despite local Covid-19 case numbers being relatively low compared with India, Anwar said when comparing Malaysia’s infection percentage against its population, it is not that different from the South Asian nation.
This is a concern, he added, given that the authorities have confirmed that hospitals may not be able to accept more severely ill patients.
“Our strength lies in the fact that our healthcare system is good, thus, our death rate is still low.
“But if the number of patients increases, the capacity of hospitals, particularly at intensive care units, will become limited, and this could see an increase in deaths.”
Anwar also took the opportunity to plead with the public to get vaccinated, even if they may have heard differing views on the vaccine.
“All studies show that countries with a high vaccination rate see a reduction in Covid-19 infections. More vaccines, less Covid-19.”
He said he understands that there may be discrepancies with regard to the national vaccine roll-out, but hopes the public not delay their immunisation if possible. – The Vibes, May 8, 2021
