GUA MUSANG: More than 144,000 Orang Asli in the country are eligible to receive Covid-19 vaccine jabs, and 50 per cent of them have registered for their vaccination.
Deputy Rural Development Minister I Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said the Orang Asli community was now more aware of the importance of getting vaccinated compared with several months ago, thanks to various awareness campaigns.
"In May, we recorded a smaller number of Orang Asli who turned up for the vaccination, but due to our awareness campaigns, more Orang Asli are agreeing to get themselves vaccinated.
"This shows that our campaigns, which were jointly organised with other agencies as well as the outreach programmes, have been effective."
Rahman said this to reporters after visiting an outreach programme for the Orang Asli community at Dewan Jubli Perak near Kuala Betis here, yesterday, where he witnessed a group of Orang Asli receiving their first vaccine doses.
Accompanying him during the visit were the ministry's secretary-general Datuk Dr Ahmad Jailani Muhamed Yunus, Orang Asli Development Department deputy director-general Zamri Mustajap and South Kelantan Development Authority (Kesedar) chairman Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz.
A total of 230 Orang Asli from several settlements in Kuala Betis received their first vaccine doses yesterday.
Rahman also believed that more Orang Asli would register to get the vaccine in the coming days.
"I believe from now on, the ministry can slow down its campaign (to attract Orang Asli to register) as more Orang Asli realise the importance of getting vaccinated and are turning up for vaccination voluntarily."
Up to Saturday, he said 38,732 Orang Asli agreed to be vaccinated, while another 15,366 had received both their first and second doses.
On another note, 18 buses were provided by Mara Liner Sdn Bhd to help in the vaccination programme.
"The buses have been turned into vaccination centres and will move from village to village.
"They will be used not only for the Orang Asli community, but also other villages in the remote areas in Kelantan," he said.
During the programme, the Orang Asli who received their vaccine jabs were also given food baskets provided by Kesedar.
Housewife Harina Basaid said the government's move to vaccinate the Orang Asli community was very helpful.
"Apart from protecting us and our families, we will also not worry over our safety anymore if we plan to travel out from the state.
"The Orang Asli must not doubt this exercise and if possible, must not listen to unfair criticism about the vaccination," said the 25-year-old from Cameron Highlands.
Odd job worker Pa Da, 40, said he and other Orang Asli would be more confident after receiving the vaccine jabs.
"We would like to thank the government for organising this programme for our community.
"We also hope that this programme will be extended to other Orang Asli communities," said the father of seven, who is from Lambok near Kuala Betis.
