Singapore — Leader of the Opposition and Workers’ Party head Pritam Singh said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Jul 31) that he asked his predecessor, Mr Low Thia Khiang, to record a video message to encourage seniors to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Workers’ Party published the video on Sunday, Aug 1, with Mr Low speaking to older Singaporeans in Chinese, although Mr Singh said a message in English would also be released.
One important point he made was that senior citizens who remain unvaccinated and get Covid could pass this on to their grandchildren.
The video immediately went viral, garnering over 63,000 views in less than 24 hours. The former WP chief remains highly respected, especially among the older generation of Singaporeans, having served as the unofficial opposition leader from 2006 to 2018.
Mr Low, who suffered a fall last year and was hospitalised for several weeks, looked healthy and strong in the video.
According to Mr Singh, his former “Boss,” now 64, received two Pfizer doses last Apr.
The relatively slow vaccination rate among seniors in Singapore has been a cause for concern for many officials, as Covid-19 causes this age group to be particularly vulnerable to serious illness and even death.
Last week, it was reported that around 77 per cent of Singaporeans from the age of 60 have been fully vaccinated, and around 177,000 people from this age group have not yet received their first jab.
Too many seniors falling seriously ill at the same time could end up taxing the country’s health care system and put others in danger.
Mr Low told the seniors that even though they hardly leave their homes, they could still get Covid-19.
“Some people think that because they seldom leave home, there is no need to get vaccinated. But no matter how, you will be interacting with people. The person who infects you could be your family, your relative or your friend.”
He added that if they get vaccinated, they may still get infected, underlining that “it is important to ensure that even if we get Covid-19, our health will not be seriously affected.”
The former WP chief said that those who have not been vaccinated face higher risks of falling seriously ill.
“If unvaccinated seniors contract Covid-19, that would be serious,” he warned, appealing to older Singaporeans to protect their families.
Many Singaporeans have thanked the former and current WP heads for joining the effort to help senior citizens.
Mr Low’s video may be viewed here.
/TISG
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