As of yesterday, a total of 624 village heads (Tok Batin) from 853 Orang Asli settlements nationwide have agreed to get vaccinated under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme.
Rural Development Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said of the total, almost 50 per cent had been inoculated, thus setting an example for the community to also take the vaccine.
“Their idol is the Tok Batin and today, the number of Tok Batin has increased. If they get inoculated, their people will follow suit.
“The process will start with the Tok Batin and this is really important for the Orang Asli group. They can play the role to convince others to take the vaccine,” he told reporters at the vaccination programme for the Orang Asli community here, today.
Meanwhile, he said a total of 28,143 Orang Asli have registered for vaccination so far, as a result of various initiatives conducted by the ministry and its agencies including the outreach programme by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA).
Abdul Rahman said a total of 4,496 individuals have received their first dose, while 1,511 others have completed both doses of the vaccine.
“Many Orang Asli need assistance to register via the MySejahtera application. So, when there is a programme that goes into the interior area, it will make things easier for them.
“We are proud because, through this outreach programme, more and more people have agreed to receive the vaccine,” he said.
Meanwhile, RISDA chairman Datuk Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif said it was directly involved in the programme as almost 80 per cent of the total Orang Asli were smallholders undertaking the Cluster Replanting Project.
“We are among the agencies that are close to them, so we convinced them (to take the vaccine). Before this, when we come down with the District Health Office, many of them were reluctant because they were influenced by misleading information about the vaccine,” he said.
Earlier, a total of 260 individuals from Kampung Orang Asli Panchor and Kampung Batu Peti here received the Sinovac vaccine.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency