Singapore — Sharing a photo of his vaccination, former Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong urged other senior citizens to be “kia si” and “kia su” like him.
“Kia si” is a Hokkien phrase, meaning to be afraid of death, while “kia su” means ‘fear of losing’.
Encouraging other senior citizens to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible, Mr Goh said that a prevention-over-cure approach was what had saved his life.
“That was how I survived two cancers – prostate and vocal cord. These were discovered during my regular check-ups. Fortunately. Early discovery saved my life”, he wrote.
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“My reasoning is simple. At best, there would be some side effects. At worst, I may die. But the risk of dying from the vaccination is very, very low. At my age and given that I have some medical conditions common to the elderly, I know that the probability of my dying, should I get caught by the COVID-19 virus and its Delta variant, is very, very high. Even if my time is up, I prefer not to die of COVID-19 as it will be a most uncomfortable and painful way to go”, he added.
Mr Goh noted that isolating oneself at home is only one part of the solution, as the virus may still be contracted through friends or family who visit.
“So prevention is better than cure. Be “kia si” and “kia su” like me”, Mr Goh said.
Rallying fellow seniors that “We have many more good years ahead”, Mr Goh once again pushed that they all go for their vaccinations. /TISG
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