Ah Malaysia, home to one of the top 3 Health Ministers in the world in the form of Dato Seri Dr Adham Baba. You’d think that with all the genius statements he’s made over the past four months or so, he can’t possibly be outdone. I mean yeah, the former Health Minister of New Zealand comes close but come on. How do you outdo saying that drinking water prevents Covid-19 infections right?
Well, Indonesia’s Agricultur Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo has come out of nowhere and is certainly giving Dr. Adham Baba a run for his money. Heck, i’d argue that he even outshone our beloved local minister. Syahrul has come under some criticism of late after he claimed that his ministry’s new antivirus necklace could “kill” Covid-19. Yup.
It turns out that the agriculture ministry’s Research and Development Department (Balitbangtan) has invented a necklace that’s made out of eucalyptus-based materials that can apparently help prevent the transmission of Covid-19. It’s set to be mass produced next month.
Syahrul was quoted by Tribunnews.com saying that “From 700 species of eucalyptus, our lab tests showed that one kind can kill Covid-19. We are certain.” I’d argue that he’s about as certain as Dr. Adham Baba was when he proclaimed that drinking warm water prevents the coronavirus.
He didn’t stop there though. He also added that “We have tried it. If you use it for 30 minutes, it can kill 80 per cent of the virus. We also have the roll-on. So if you ever get cut by a knife, the wounds can be healed by applying the product,” and that the necklace has given him the confidence to visit crowded places. Nothing like blind confidence, I guess.
The belief in the product is so strong that it doesn’t end with just the necklace. There are three other eucalyptus based products being developed by the ministry, comprising of roll-ons, balms and mini inhalers.
But hey, don’t just take his word for it. Fadjry Djufry, the head of Balitbangan has endorsed the product as well, claiming that it was tested on 20 of their own employees with high rates of recovery after using the products. That stance didn’t last long though. Fadjry later backtracked on his endorsement of the products, and now claims that it is merely a “health accessory” which can be used for aromatherapy.
All that being said, the packaging, which used to come with an “Anti-Virus Corona” label will now be repackaged. What do you guys think, has Dr. Adham Baba been outdone or does he still hold the crown?
