MUSLIMS should take the Covid-19 vaccine as advised by the national fatwa council, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mustapa Mohamed.

This is after 10,000 Kelantan residents failed to show up for their vaccination appointments yesterday.

Mustapa reminded Muslims that the fatwa council, after studying the matter, had made the shots “wajib”, or compulsory for high-risk groups and “harus”, or encouraged for the rest.

“Therefore Muslims in the state should not hesitate,” Mustapa said in an interview on RTM’s KelantanFM this morning.

Kelantan yesterday logged 754 new infections, taking its caseload to 5,921. 

As of May 24, 382,000 people in Kelantan have registered to take the shots while only 83,530, or 6.78% of the state population have been inoculated.

Mustapa, who is the Jeli MP, said fewer than 4,000 people have registered for the vaccine in his constituency.

Last December, the Special Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs agreed to the use of Covid-19 vaccine, allaying fears the jabs could be “haram”.

The office of the Federal Territories mufti has endorsed the council’s decision.

Mustapa said the vaccine is the best available weapon against the coronavirus.

“There are those who say they would rather die than take the vaccine; now that’s scary. We are at war now. Don’t listen to your children who could be giving you wrong information.

“The government, the fatwa council and the medical experts have all agreed that vaccination is encouraged so we must listen to them,” he said.

SOP reminder

Mustapa, who recently recovered from Covid-19, also reminded Kelantan folk to adhere to the standard operating procedure to prevent ininfection.

“If you have symptoms, immediately go and get tested. Don’t stay home and wait for a few days or a whole week before you go to the hospital,” he said.

He also told people not to be clever and circumvent the rules.

“Be a responsible citizen and follow the SOP. Don’t go praying in the dark. Impose a self lockdown and go out only when necessary,” he said.

Kampung Pauh Lima residents in Bachok were reported to have performed their congregational prayers in the dark to escape detection by the authorities.

The village is now under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO) until June 1.

Recounting his experience battling the virus, Mustapa said he was in the hospital ward for six days before he was put in intensive care as his lung condition deteriorated.

“In the ICU, you are monitored very closely. The other thing is, in the ICU there is no toilet, so everyone has to wear adult diapers.

“Thankfully after three days in the ICU I was able to return to the regular ward. After 12 days at the hospital I was finally discharged.”

Though he has made a full recovery, Mustafa said he is still experiencing fatigue and appetite loss. He has since received a full course of vaccination.

“When I took my first dose, there were no side effects. After the second dose I had a headache.”

Kelantan has 13 hospitals treating Covid-19 patients. They have a combined total of 735 beds, 85 of them in the ICU.

“If people refuse to follow the SOP and the number of cases and deaths go up, we will have a bigger crisis in our hands, like India where there isn’t even space to cremate the dead.

“When the numbers climb, we will eventually run out of beds and ventilators. At that point, we will not only have a health emergency, but an economic one too.

“At that stage we will have no choice but to go back to a full lockdown which will have a devastating impact to the economy and to the people,” he warned.

Malaysia yesterday registered 7,875 cases, a new record. The national caseload stands at 541, 224. The death toll is 2,491, including the 59 patients who died yesterday. – May 28, 2021.