KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian King Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, Friday expressed concern over the continuous upward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, which has now reached over 3,000 positive cases daily.
Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara (national palace) Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said another matter which was equally worrying His Majesty was the report of the closure of several schools due to the outbreak, as well as the unsatisfactory level of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) at several gatherings and Ramadan bazaars.
In this regard, His Majesty called on the people to always be disciplined in complying with the instructions and SOPs set by the government, to prevent the country from being hit by the COVID-19 tsunami as experienced by several countries in South Asia and Europe, he said.
“Al-Sultan Abdullah advised the people not to let their guard down and view lightly the instructions and compliance with SOPs at Ramadan bazaars, schools and public gatherings, such as breaking fast and feasts, to ensure the spread of COVID-19 in the country can be controlled and curbed for good,” he said in a statement here.
Thursday, a total of 3,332 new positive COVID-19 cases were recorded in the country.
Ahmad Fadil said His Majesty also reminded the people not to lose focus and always be vigilant to ensure their own health and safety, as well as their family members and the community, because if the fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic were to occur, it would threaten and worsen the country’s economy and the socio-economy of the people.
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong also expressed concerns over reports that private hospitals in the Klang Valley were currently experiencing a shortage of beds to accommodate the number of patients, following the increase in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, he said.
Ahmad Fadil said His Majesty also expressed hope that the people would carry out their social responsibilities by immediately seeking help and treatment if they had symptoms, and isolate themselves if they were confirmed positive or declared as a close contact even if they were not symptomatic.
Al-Sultan Abdullah also said that the people should be honest with themselves and the community by complying with quarantine directives and SOPs to avoid harm to the community and the country.
His Majesty also expressed confidence that with the high cooperation and commitment between the people and the government, the rate of transmission of COVID-19 infection can be flattened for the sake of personal safety and the well-being of the beloved country.
“Taking the blessings of this glorious month of Ramadan, His Majesty takes the opportunity to invite the people to join him to pray that the country will always be blessed and protected and that the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic can be eradicated soon,” said Ahmad Fadil.
— NNN-BERNAMA