KUCHING, June 5 — Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri James Jemut Masing is still mourning the demise of his younger brother Jantai Masing, 68, who died due to Covid-19 at the Kapit Hospital on May 31, just a day before the Dayaks in the state ushered in the Gawai celebration.

According to him, his late brother would have a better chance to survive Covid-19 if he had been given the vaccine as Jantai’s son Kudi, who nursed his father when he was infected by the disease, had survived because he had already been vaccinated.

"The choice is simple — vaccinate and live, don’t you die! Vaccine is the only tool we have to contain Coronavirus. Use it we must, if humans are to survive this deadly pandemic,” he told Bernama via WhatsApp today.

Masing, who is also the Baleh assemblyman, said the vaccination programme in the state constituency which is located in Kapit district had been well accepted by the people there but he wanted the federal government to guarantee that ample supply would reach the interior division of Sarawak fast.

"If Kuala Lumpur (federal government) can guarantee me the vaccine (will arrive fast in Kapit), I will guarantee that the people of Kapit will come and get themselves vaccinated,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong said he would facilitate the cooperation between Health Ministry and local non-governmental organisations (NGO) to speed up the registration for vaccinations in rural settlements in the constituency.

He said that local community leaders had also been roped in to help in disseminating information and to encourage people in Pelagus to register themselves for the vaccination.

"Primary schools in my area can also be turned into vaccination centres to speed up the (immunisation) programme as it is well received here,” he added. — Bernama