PETALING JAYA, April 21 — After getting a little excited over the past few days, Malaysians finally got the date right for Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s birthday.
Dr Noor Hisham celebrates his 57th birthday today and the masses have gone all out to make him feel appreciated on his special day.
From witty cartoons to appreciation videos, Malaysians from all over the country have been posting greetings and well wishes in honour of him throughout the day.
A tribute to @DGHisham, a leader in times of crises who has become the face of #covid19 updates in Malaysia.
— ain yazeereen (@yazeereen) April 14, 2020
Respect for his wisdom, competency, professionalism & strong leadership.
Let’s stand & rise together 🇲🇾!#staysafe #stayhome #breakthechain @KKMPutrajaya pic.twitter.com/5j79wCQKpm
Alumni from Dr Noor Hisham’s secondary school Methodist Boys’ School Kuala Lumpur even sent him a birthday cake yesterday, highlighting how proud they are of his achievements.
But that’s not all his old schoolmates did for him, as some of them banded together to create a five-minute-long appreciation video.
“Happy birthday Dr Noor Hisham! We’ve known each other since Standard One and we also share the same birthday. Congratulations on being nominated as one of the top doctors in the world, we are so proud of you,” said Datuk CG Tan from the class of 1980.
A group of Malaysians on Facebook also showcased their gratitude for the “leader of the army against Covid-19” in the form of a video, with many thanking him for his service to the country.
And the wishes won’t stop coming in either, as the #HappyBirthdayDGHisham hashtag has become trending on Twitter, with over 12,000 social media users using the hashtag to send their love Dr Noor Hisham’s way.
“Today I’m going to stay at home and not even go out to my front porch as a gift to Dr Noor Hisham,” wrote one user.
While some users even took their love to new heights, with one even asking if she could become Dr Noor Hisham’s future daughter-in-law.
One social media user even uploaded a video of his fluffy pet rabbit wishing Dr Noor Hisham.
my shownu nak wish #HappyBirthdayDGHisham . we love youuuuuu pic.twitter.com/Ymj5qq2ChA
— Hafeezi Raziqin (@HafeeziRaziqin) April 21, 2020
Facebook user Jaydevan Jayakumar uploaded a special poster for our health director-general’s birthday, calling on all Malaysians to make it their display pictures to honour Dr Noor Hisham.
Meanwhile, famed Malaysian actress and pop singer Lee Sinje and her two sons performed a special birthday song tribute for Dr Noor Hisham which she uploaded onto her official Facebook page.
“This song is dedicated to Dr Noor Hisham as I would like to let my sons know that there is a superhero right here in our homeland,” said Lee in the post.
The actress wasn’t the only one who sees him as somewhat of a superhero during this difficult period, as many with an artistic flare used their talents to create funny and stunning artworks of Dr Noor Hisham as our very own Malaysian superhero.
And if Captain America or Dr Strange comparisons weren’t enough to appease, some talented artists even created manga-inspired comics.
Happy birthday YBhg Datuk Seri Dr.Noor @DGHisham Abdullah from #DoctorOnCall & all dear Malaysians. #Like & #Share this post if you respect this #Hero.#birthday #malaysiacovid19 #HappyBirthdayDGHisham #SupermanFacts #HeroesOfCovid19 #kementeriankesihatanmalaysia #KKM pic.twitter.com/Yl0biLUWy6
— DoctorOnCall (@doctoroncallMY) April 21, 2020
Happy birthday Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah 🎉 @DGHisham
— Qamarina Zakaria (@QzZakaria) April 21, 2020
May Allah bless you always ✨
Thank you for all your hard work🥺#HappyBirthdayDGHisham #HapusCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/ho42vECzbc
General Hisham. The hero of Malaysia, leading the frontline in the country's battle against #COVIDー19.
— Jazli Aziz (@JazliAziz) April 20, 2020
This is an illustration of him actually on the battlefield courtesy of @ernestngBRO.#HappyBirthdayDGHisham pic.twitter.com/qy0WPrm1QT
Wish you a Happy Birthday ! May Allah bless you. Thank you for everything . Our hero 🥰💖💖#HappyBirthdayDGHisham pic.twitter.com/RvwrkO9Omj
— 🐣 (@_____pinocchioo) April 20, 2020
Aware of the newfound love he has received over recent weeks, Dr Noor Hisham implored all Malaysians, yesterday during a press conference, to abide by the rules of the movement control order (MCO) period as a gift to him.
Our hero 😍 #HappyBirthdayDGHisham pic.twitter.com/ERJ9TJE2kD
— datoluqman (@datoluqman_) April 21, 2020
Smiling, Dr Noor Hisham said: “On the occasion of my birthday, the most special gift for me will be if Malaysians remain staying at home and observe high hygiene standard.”
Malaysia enters its 35th day into the MCO period today, with the third phase of the MCO expected to end next week on April 28.