“This can help reduce the number of infections and deaths,” the wife of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said in a five minute, 34-second video today.

Siti Hasmah said she was disappointed to read reports that some 10,000 people did not turn up for the vaccination appointment despite registering.

She also suggested that the government expand the national vaccination programme by rolling it out in villages nationwide.

Siti Hasmah urged those who could not make it for their vaccination appointments to inform the respective vaccination centres so the dosages would not go to waste and could be used for those next in line.

She added that the recent surge in Covid-19 cases was worrying and that the nation was at a critical stage.

Hospitals and wards cannot cope with such numbers, thus the need to adhere to SOPs, she said.

“This is not a conspiracy. This is the reality.”

Siti Hasmah also hit out at those who were spreading myths about vaccination, saying there was a need to “believe in science”.

“This (the virus) isn’t fake. Covid-19 is real.”

To date some 1,578,225 individuals have received their first dose of the vaccine under the national vaccination programme.

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