By Amin Ridzuan Ishak
SHAH ALAM, Dec 11 — Issues relating to Covid-19 have always been a great concern to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj.
His Royal Highness often finds a need to remind the Selangor people to not let their guard down and keep the virus in check.
Not many of us know that the Sultan keeps a tab on the number of Covid-19 cases in Selangor every day. According to Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, the fate of those who have contracted the virus has been foremost on the ruler’s mind ever since the pandemic began early last year.
It saddens His Royal Highness whenever his subjects lose a precious family member. He grieves whenever a child is orphaned by the virus.
He constantly highlights the sacrifice and dedication shown by the state’s frontline workers. And he is also attentive to the enormous economic and social challenges faced by the people.
It is therefore not a surprise that Sultan Sharafuddin’s compassionate nature has touched the hearts of many.
He has never once wavered in his role as the ruler of Selangor, and in providing his ideas to help the state administration better tackle Covid-19.
The majority of his decrees this year were focused on efforts to combat the virus scourge.
Pro vaccines
The Sultan’s commitment in managing the virus has led him to repeatedly highlight to the people the importance of getting inoculated.
He stressed that the efforts of both the state and Federal governments to introduce the Selangor Vaccination Programme (Selvax) and the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) align with the religious demand of protecting the whole society.
His Royal Highness’ concern over the matter was highlighted when he urged the Special Committee On Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) to expedite the vaccination process and increase the number of doses allocated to Selangor citizens.
His decree was issued after it was made known on June 1 that Selangor — with the highest population density in the country — had only received some 615,210 doses of the vaccines, contrary to the 2.9 million doses claimed by Federal sources.
He voiced that the ratio of vaccines to the state’s population of over five million was greatly disproportionate.
Priority, he said, must be given to Selangor as it is the largest contributor to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
His displeasure turned the tables on Selangor’s vaccine waiting game. The state ended up being the fastest in inoculating its population, with the help of some 2.5 million Sinovac doses procured by its Selvax programme.
As a result, Selangor moved into Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan on October 15, allowing it more flexibility to begin its economic recovery process.
Proactive measures
Selangor citizens are fortunate that the Sultan’s sense of commitment is mirrored by the state government under the helm of Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
Since last year, Amirudin’s administration has been proactively implementing plans to reign in the disease.
The state’s Covid-19 mass screening programme has been one of the most beneficial efforts in helping to curb new outbreaks.
No other state has implemented such a programme, instead, relying entirely on the Federal administration for help and direction.
The RM20 million mass screening effort carried out under the Covid-19 Mitigation Phase had managed to identify 177,823 individuals who had come into close contact with the disease, allowing them to isolate from the wider community and avoid the creation of clusters.
The state government had also recently intensified the vaccination process by launching separate programmes for industrial workers, members of the community who were left out of the first vaccination drive, and adolescents.
Such aggressive action by the Selangor government has received praise from His Royal Highness.
Walking the talk
The Sultan is a man who practises what he preaches. Because of the nature of the virus, he is careful to limit his social activities and chooses to stay at home whenever he is not required to attend formal functions.
When he is out, His Royal Highness never fails to mask up and observe physical distancing.
This is why he often reminds the people to observe the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and stay vigilant.
He said the increased number of Covid-19 cases in Selangor soon after the Federal government reopened several sectors in May showed that the people were getting too complacent and failed to abide by the rules, apart from the lack of enforcement by the local authorities.
Sultan Sharafuddin also criticised several political leaders and celebrities who abused their position and violated the enhanced movement control order by participating in activities that were disallowed by the Health Ministry and the National Security Council.
A caring nature
When the Covid-19 vaccine had just reached Malaysia’s shores and supply was scarce, Sultan Sharafuddin made the news when he insisted that he would be inoculated only after all the frontline workers had received their shots.
Such a rare display of unselfishness among leaders is uncommon, and it is what makes the Sultan stand out.
To him, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, security personnel, teachers and members of the police force and the army should be given priority as they face a higher infection risk.
Sultan Sharafuddin loves his people dearly and wants the deadly virus to be eradicated in the golden state, and for Selangor to start focusing on the recovery process.
May the state be able to bounce back and revive its economy, and create prosperity for all its citizens.
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal monthly December edition, published on December 4, 2021.
