PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today attended a ‘Sunathon Perdana’ ceremony, in which 1,250 young boys underwent a mass circumcision.
He said the programme is aimed at orphans and children from disadvantaged families residing in the Federal Territory.
"This programme is part of the government's initiative to look after the Bottom 40 (B40) group, whose monthly household income is less than RM2,537.
"They (the B40) have been the focus of government efforts (to improve living standards), including in the area of education, public transport, health, as well as in addressing the rising cost of living," he said during a speech today.
Najib said traditional circumcision services performed by the Tok Mudim (a person who performs traditional circumcisions) are slowly becoming a thing of the past, as the latest techniques have proven to be simpler and cause less pain.
“In the past, boys were told to take a dip in a pond or river to ‘numb’ themselves before getting circumcised, which would have given them a traumatic experience.
“Now, the latest methods, such as Tara-Klamp and laser circumcision, have made the procedure simpler, taking just about 20 minutes," he added.
Prior to the ceremony, the PM advised the boys not to be afraid, as the new method causes minimal pain and ensures speedy recovery.
Najib also urged people to equip themselves with health knowledge and consider modern medicine for their wellbeing.
"I was told that (some Malaysian) parents nowadays attribute their children's medical conditions, such as autism, to the work of black magic and witchcraft," he said.
In this respect, he urged parents not to deny their children the benefits of modern science and medicine.
Najib also said cooperation between the government and doctors in private practices is important in order to provide good medical services to the people.