Hasan received his second dose of Covid-19 vaccine on June 11.
MIRI (July 6): Pastors from the Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) would be the most effective in assisting the Penan community in Baram to overcome vaccine hesitation or rejection, opined Penan paramount chief Temengong Datuk Hasan Sui.
He said the religious Penan community trust in and would listen to their pastors.
“However, make sure that the pastors are certified healthy through swab tests before going into the interior to meet the Penans and explain the importance of being immunised against Covid-19,” he told The Borneo Post.
Over 100 cases have been reported among the community, along with two deaths last month.
Hasan said Covid-19 has already penetrated the most rural areas including the remote settlement of Long Lamei, which is accessible only by boat at the end of Baram’s logging road network.
“Penans in Baram trust their pastors, who meet with them to pray every week, and they also trust doctors, who can explain about the vaccine with authority,” he said.
There are 62 BEM churches in Penan villages in Baram.
BEM president Agung Bina told The Borneo Post that the church supports vaccination to protect the sanctity of life.
All church leaders and officials at BEM’s headquarters have already been vaccinated.
Hasan added the Penan community has nothing to fear over vaccination and pointed out he completed his second dose on June 11.
He stressed there is no alternative but vaccination for the Baram Penan community to be protected from this global pandemic.
According to him, almost all Penan communities nearer urban centres such as Suai, Niah, and Jelalong support vaccination.
He cited poor access to correct information about vaccines and the remoteness of Penan villages in Baram as contributing to the poor response towards vaccination compared to other Orang Ulu communities in the area.