27 Orang Asli village chiefs vaccinated as example to fellow villagers

 

Nengkak Anak Mat, the 75-year-old tok batin (village chief) of Sungai Kurau village on Carey Island was among 27 Orang Asli village chiefs who were vaccinated at the Orang Asli Hospital in Gombak yesterday.

According to a report by The Star, Nengkak said he was determined to make the two-hour journey from his village because he wanted to encourage his people to get themselves vaccinated.

Earlier this month, Deputy Rural Development Minister Abdul Rahman Mohamad announced that Orang Asli Development Department (Jakoa) will play a bigger role to ensure that the community also participates in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, following reports of low registration rates.

Nengkak said it was his duty as a leader to set an example.

"We want to set an example to the villagers. There are some villagers who run away when the mobile clinic arrives. Sometimes parents take their children to the river or near the sea because they are afraid they will fall ill if they get vaccinated.

“So, I thought it was better for me to go. After I return to the village, I can tell my villagers that I don’t feel any pain. Some of them tried to persuade me not to go, but I came anyway,” he said.

He was among 60 Orang Asli who were vaccinated yesterday.

Another tok batin, Ilan Johos, said he also was determined to get his vaccination to show villagers at Kampung Orang Asli Broga in Semenyih that it was safe.

“I told them that if I get vaccinated and I die here, then they do not need to get the shot. But if I do get the jab and I return home, then my villagers should all get the jab,” he said.

The village chiefs said that they had to combat a lot of misinformation that was being spread on Facebook and WhatsApp about the vaccination process. - Mkini