KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has downplayed today a glowing opinion piece mentioning him in a Chinese news outlet, saying instead that the recognition lies with the country.
Dr Noor Hisham instead showed his appreciation for frontliners who are facing the Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the federal government for making the tough decision to tackle the issue.
“To me, this is a recognition for our country. We at the Ministry of Health work as a team and advise the prime minister. It is the prime minister who made the decision and took action calling for a movement control order (MCO).
“So we are grateful to him and also I would like to thank all the agencies who came together in making this MCO work,” he said.
In his daily Covid-19 press briefing this evening, Dr Noor Hisham also specifically mentioned the armed forces, police and immigration department for taking care of the borders during this pandemic.
“Also thanks to all the frontliners from MOH and authorities in helping with the MCO. So for me, this is a recognition for the country, not me,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham was listed as one of the three leading doctors in the fight to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, alongside American physician and immunologist Dr Anthony Fauci and New Zealand’s Health director-general Ashley Bloomfield, in an opinion piece carried by the China Global TV Network.
The three medical professionals have received heaps of praise over the past weeks and months for being a “calm” and “trustable” source of information and facts during the pandemic to their countrymen.
The same opinion piece was also critical towards Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba for his gaffe in suggesting drinking warm water as a cure towards Covid-19.
Dr Adham has earlier today said on his Twitter account that the mention of Dr Noor Hisham in the article is a high recognition and praise for the country’s healthcare system.
“It is a recognition for the Ministry of Health and country. Hopefully the robust cooperation under your leadership can further develop the ministry,” Dr Noor Hisham tweeted in reply.
Dr Noor Hisham, 56, who has been the director-general since 2013, has been dubbed a “trusted face” by Malaysians thanks to his consistent updates about the virus onto his social media platforms, relying on facts and figures to make decisions and inform the public.
Labelled as a national hero by social media users last month, Dr Noor had played down such praises from the public for himself.
He said that the current fight against Covid-19 pandemic is carried out by everyone in the nation, and not merely him alone.
