3230KAJANG, SELANGOR — A 27-year-old competitive archer was training for a chance to represent Malaysia in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics. He is now dead and Malaysian officials are calling it a coincidence.
Mr. Haziq Kamaruddin received the first dose of experimental Pfizer mRNA on April 13, the second day of Ramadan in the country. He received the second dose on May 4. He shared photos of the first dose on Instagram.
The sign translates roughly to “I’ve been vaccinated.” All Malaysian athletes who wished to compete internationally were forced to take the shots on these same dates.
Mr. Kamaruddin apparently suffered no immediate side effects. Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr) commenced on May 12. It is a two-day Muslim religious holiday marking the end of Ramadan. A family member told the Malay Mail that Mr. Kamaruddin performed Fajr (Subuh), the first Muslim prayer of the day, on Friday morning, May 14 after Hari Raya Aidilfitri ended. He went to the bathroom after the prayer, came out, and suddenly collapsed. Mr. Kamaruddin died less than two hours later at his home.
An autopsy found blood clots in his heart. Minister of Youth and Sports Reezal Merican Naina Merican immediately downplayed the role of the experimental Pfizer shots. He said that 242 other athletes all took the shots at the same time, insinuating that none of them suffered any adverse effects. His statement to Free Malaysia Today sounded like something written by Pfizer public relations, the World Health Organization, or the Centers for Disease Control:
I know some people have linked Haziq’s death to the Covid-19 vaccination. This is an irresponsible act. I urge everyone not to spread news that is not true.”
Mr. Kamaruddin has been a competitive archer since age 17. He represented Malaysia in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Mr. Kamaruddin was a member of the Malaysian recurve team that won a silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. His most recent competition was at the 2020 Asia Cup in Bangkok.
He was preparing for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic qualifiers in Paris from June 19 to 21. Further tests are being performed to conjure an “official” cause of death.