Kuala Lumpur: The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, has called on the public to be grateful for the blessing of good health and to use Ramadan as an opportunity to adopt a healthier lifestyle. He emphasized the importance of health, describing it as a crown worn by the healthy yet visible only to those who are unwell.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Al-Sultan Abdullah expressed his concern about the health conditions in Pahang, citing recent reports from the Pahang State Health Department and the Ministry of Health (MOH). These reports highlighted that Pahang ranks fifth in premature mortality rates, defined as mortality before the age of 75, which is the average life expectancy in Malaysia. He addressed these concerns during the officiation ceremony of Surau Al-Amin at the Cameron Highlands District Police Headquarters (IPD) and the breaking-of-fast event in Brinchang.

The event was attended by notable figures including the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, Cameron Highlands MP Datuk Dr Ramli Mohd Nor, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, and Pahang Police Chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman.

Al-Sultan Abdullah further noted that Pahang recorded 5,206 cases of premature deaths in 2022, with heart attacks, pneumonia, and strokes being the leading causes. He pointed out that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are silent threats, eroding societal well-being. The number of diabetes cases in Pahang rose dramatically from 11,976 in 2020 to 34,819 in 2024, while hypertension cases surged to 72,625 within the same period.

He urged the public to take their health more seriously, stressing that Ramadan provides an ideal opportunity to start adopting healthier lifestyle choices.