The Selangor Turf Club, in collaboration with Optimax Holdings Bhd and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, has taken the initiative to vaccinate 3,000 of its members, staff and personnel who are residing in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Through this exercise, the club has ensured that 90% of all those involved in the horse racing industry at the club are being vaccinated. This is in line with the government’s objective to have every adult resident in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to receive at least one dose of the vaccine by Aug 1 under the Operation Surge Capacity programme.

The vaccination programme was conducted via MyMedic@Wilayah Vaccine Mobile Truck on Wednesday.

Since the MyMedic@Wilayah Vaccine Mobile Truck launched by the Ministry of Federal Territories last month, the programme has successfully conducted vaccination at 65 People’s Housing Projects (PPR), City Hall Public Housing (PA) and Kampung Tradisi (traditional villages) that have a high density of people, homeless community, Kuala Lumpur wholesale market and Selayang wholesale market and other industries as well.

“We are happy to support the government in their National Immunisation Programme by doing our part. Our programme has seen participation by the members of the Club and their spouse, horse owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff, veterinary personnel, ground crew, farriers and others,” Selangor Turf Club chairman Tan Sri Richard Cham Hak Lim said.

“The club has not stopped work despite the restrictions and lockdowns. There are close to 700 horses stabled at the club and all these horses need to be cared in terms of their feed, daily exercise, veterinary and farriery needs and their well-being.

“We took the effort to vaccinate our staff and personnel to make our Club and workplace safer and better as non-vaccinated staff or personnel may cause the virus to spread and that would lead to stoppage of work. We understand that we need to operate at the minimum, but also must be wary of the Covid-19 virus”.

“We hope that the Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) would be transitioned to the next phases quickly and the Horse Racing Operations at the Club would be able to resume soon” he added.

Meanwhile, Optimax Holdings Bhd executive director Tan Sri Tan Boon Hock, who is also a Committee Member of the Selangor Turf Club, said he was happy to collaborate with the Selangor Turf Club and contribute to the country in ensuring as many people as possible are vaccinated as cases remain high in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.