PETALING JAYA, Nov 19 – The image of Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah appearing on television screens to report on updates on the spread of the Covid-19 virus both locally and abroad four years ago is one that many may recall.

Noor Hisham, who was then the director-general of health, was the bearer of bad news – when the number of deaths resulting from Covid-19 and infections rose.

But he also brought moments of relief, such as when a decrease in infections was announced, leading to the relaxation of the movement control order (MCO).

Since the first Covid-19 case struck Malaysia in February 2020, Noor Hisham and his team worked tirelessly round the clock to ensure that the country could “regain its freedom” from the virus’s spread.

On April 1, 2022, the sacrifices and efforts of frontline workers, including health professionals, paid off as Malaysia transitioned to the endemic phase. The public began to resume their normal lives, including celebrating National Day on Aug 31 with great enthusiasm.

However, amid the showers of praise, Noor Hisham refused to call himself a hero. He only saw himself as fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to him as the head of the health sector.

“This was the duty entrusted to me. It was not about me, but the effort to contain and reduce Covid-19 infections in the country,” he told FMT.

Noor Hisham recounted the critical moment when Malaysia recorded its first cluster from a tabligh assembly at the Seri Petaling Mosque on March 12, 2020.

“We were not informed (about the cluster) until I received a call from my colleague in Brunei, who told me that a man who had just returned from the gathering there tested positive,” he said.

No other choice but to implement a lockdown

The situation became increasingly alarming as infections spiked dramatically, with 400 out of 500 people from the tabligh gathering tested confirmed positive. With limited capacity for Covid-19 testing, the health ministry turned to a drastic measure.

“We had to apply public health protocol and advised the then prime minister (Muhyiddin Yassin) and the Cabinet that perhaps the best option was to implement a lockdown,” he said.

The MCO proved to be effective with only one Covid-19 case reported for the first time on July 1, 2020. However, this success was short-lived as infections surged again after the Sabah state election in September 2020.

Malaysia recorded its highest daily infection rate, with more than 24,000 cases on Aug 26 in 2021, and the highest daily death toll on Aug 11 the same year, when 393 fatalities were recorded.

“The number of infections was extremely high, and so were the deaths. The situation was so dire that the forensic department ran out of space to store the corpses,” he said.

Working around the clock

Noor Hisham said that as director-general of health, there was no room for him to take a pause as managing Covid-19 required round-the-clock commitment.

“Even though I had time at home, managing Covid-19 was a 24-hour job,” he said.

He admitted that at the time, the physical, emotional and mental resilience of the frontline workers was put to the test. For him, it was critical to provide guidance and support to them.

“They were the last line of defence – if the frontline workers became infected and couldn’t help control or contain Covid-19, the whole country would be affected,” he said.

Noor Hisham retired on April 21 last year and was succeeded by one of his deputies, Dr Radzi Abu Hassan.

He is the chairman of UCSI Healthcare Group and the National Heart Institute (IJN) and remains open to sharing insights and providing feedback on public health issues.

He expressed pride in how Malaysia, despite various challenges, ultimately succeeded in controlling the pandemic through effective and innovative public health approaches.

“As a surgeon, I can save one life at a time. But in public health, if we get the policies right, we can save an entire nation,” he said.