According to him, his late brother would have had a better chance of surviving if he had been given the vaccine.

He said 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!

“The vaccine is the only tool we have to contain the coronavirus. We must use it 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, located in Kapit district, had been well accepted by the people there.

However, he wanted the federal government to guarantee that ample supply would reach the interior divisions of Sarawak fast.

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

Meanwhile, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong said he would facilitate the cooperation between the health ministry and NGOs to speed up registration for the vaccinations in rural settlements in the constituency.

He said 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.