Dr Sim delivers his speech during the virtual event.
KUCHING (Aug 27): Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian has pleaded with those who have yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to come forward and get the vaccine.
He said the difference between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not has not been clearly reflected in the daily statistics, where the number of deaths reported in some other states have been much higher than those in Sarawak.
“Vaccination also reduces the number of severe cases in Categories 3 to 5. That is why we are still pushing on (with the vaccination programme).
“Those who have yet to be vaccinated but are eligible, please come forward. We beg you to do your part, not just to protect yourself but also protect your families,” he said during the virtual celebration of Padawan Municipal Council’s (MPP) 25th anniversary today.
Dr Sim said that Sarawak did very well last year because the people were extremely cooperative but unfortunately this year cases have risen because of the Delta variant.
“The Delta variant showed us if you’re not vaccinated it will be much more severe and the chances of passing it on to others are a lot more.
“Post-vaccination is always a challenge — how to live with the virus safely and how to reopen our various businesses safely. This requires a change of paradigm, of how we look at Covid-19. The virus changes so the people of Sarawak need to change,” he said.
Dr Sim commended MPP and other council front-liners for their efforts in helping the government to address the challenges brought about by Covid-19.
He said this includes pooling resources, responding to new problems, and innovating solutions to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“This is the true spirit of Sarawak. We come together during a time of crisis and get our jobs done instead of politicking and finger-pointing.
“We will have to continue to do that because Covid-19 will be here to stay for a while. From what we can see (in other countries), policies of zero Covid-19 are not possible in any part of the world,” he said.
On another note, Dr Sim also urged the public to continue to be the eyes and ears of the council, reporting any incidents such as the illegal dumping of waste.
He said it is important for the council to leverage on community involvement to ensure better cooperation at a local level, and to ensure the success and sustainability of the council’s programmes.
“Though we are in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, it does not deter us to be closer with our local community. With internet technology, we still can have close rapport with our community. I would like to urge MPP to use this latest technology not only to organise programmes but also in disseminating government policies and information to the people,” he said.