KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has called on Malaysians to make their health and safety a priority, following the spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from China to several countries, including Malaysia.
Al-Sultan Abdullah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandriah, who expressed concern over the detection of four cases of the virus in Malaysia yesterday, said the rakyat should take all the necessary precautions when travelling and comply with directives issued by local authorities.
Comptroller of the Royal Family and Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said both Their Majesties urged the people to better understand the epidemic and follow the advice and preventive measures outlined by the Health Ministry.
“This includes maintaining a high level of personal hygiene, (including) frequently washing hands with water and soap, using hand sanitiser, and always wearing face masks,” the Istana Negara statement said.
Their Majesties expressed their gratitude for the prompt action and continuous monitoring carried out by the Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah also congratulated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, particularly the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, for setting up an Emergency Response Team to reach out to Malaysians in affected areas of China.
Ahmad Fadil said the Agong expressed hope that the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and Rapid Assessment Team (RAT) will be strengthened to conduct contact tracking and screening of international flight passengers at all Malaysian airports.
Meanwhile, Their Majesties also expressed regret over the actions of several irresponsible parties who issued false statements on the outbreak, which were later made viral by others.
Ahmad Fadil said both the King and Queen hope that Malaysians will refrain from creating unnecessary panic, or disturbing the peace by disseminating information on the outbreak that has not been verified or is likely to spark controversy. – Bernama