Saarani first in Perak to receive Covid-19 vaccine jab

By Zahratulhayat Mat Arif - March 1, 2021 @ 11:31am

IPOH: Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad became the first in the state to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at the Stadium Indera Mulia here, today.

The jab was administered by nurse, M. Kirage Letchemy from the Batu Gajah Women and Children's Health Clinic.

Besides Saarani, a total of 10 state executive councillors (excos) and directors of several departments also received their first dosage today. They include Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid and state Health director Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming.

Appearing from a room after a 15-minute rest, Saarani said he felt nothing and did not even feel he was jabbed.

"I felt nothing. I didn't feel that that I was jabbed. There's nothing to be afraid of. This is not the first time we received a vaccine.

"Those who used to go to perform their Hajj and Umrah need to get their vaccine too. We even received vaccine at school. This is not something extraordinary," he told reporters.

A total of 39,760 frontliners in Perak will receive their first dosage in the first phase of the Covid-19 Immunisation Programme and it is expected to be completed by end of next month.

Asked if it necessary to have all Exco receive their first dosage in the first phase, he said people should follow instructions by the government.

"We have discussed it and there were several views saying that it would be great to give the vaccine to the public first then leaders.

"We had proposed that but people started complaining why don't the leaders get the jab first then us (members of the public), they want to see the effects of the vaccines on the leaders.

"Then we decided to give the leaders the vaccine first so that it would be an example for them, but people are still complaining.

"Whatever we decide, it gives room to the people to make assumptions. For me, the people don't have to be worried, they should follow whatever decision made by the government," he said.

Yesterday, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (KJ) in a retweet said he advised the states (government) to give the vaccines in stages especially to those elected representatives, but there were some states which administered it to their Excos first.

"KJ is trying to understand and entertain people who feel that not all leaders must get the vaccines first.

"He feels the vaccines should be distributed alternately such as give to the ministers first, then the public and then back to the ministers so people would see the vaccines distributed fairly.

"In Perak, we have come out with a schedule (vaccination) and it should be no problem," he said adding that there was no queue-jumping in Perak, so far.