SUBANG, March 30 — Fifty members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) left for Naypyidaw, Myanmar, this morning on a humanitarian mission and to participate in the search and rescue (SAR) operations for earthquake victims.
The SMART team, which is under the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), along with SAR equipment — including two five-tonne trucks and a four-wheel-drive vehicle — left in two Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) A400M aircraft, which took off from the RMAF Subang Air Base at 9.30am and 10am, respectively.
The team, led by contingent commander Mohamad Hafiezul Abdul Halim, comprises 16 personnel from the Malaysian Armed Forces, 13 from the Royal Malaysia Police, and 21 from the Fire and Rescue Department.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the mission is expected to last between seven and 14 days, depending on the needs and situation.
“Driven by a sense of humanity and strong Asean solidarity, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, along with Malaysia as Asean chair for 2025, are very sympathetic to what is happening in Myanmar and have taken immediate action by mobilising the SMART team.
“The team also brought medical equipment, and we hope this assistance will accelerate SAR operations in disaster-affected areas alongside international rescue teams from other countries,” he told a press conference when sending off the SMART team.
Also present were army chief Datuk Mohd Nizam Jaffar, Nadma director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus, SMART commander Mohd Khairul Jamil, and Myanmar ambassador to Malaysia Aung Soe Win.
Zahid, who is also Central Disaster Management Committee chair, said that for now, Malaysia’s SAR efforts are primarily focused in Myanmar, given the severe impact of the disaster there compared with Thailand.
If there is a need to deploy additional SMART personnel, we will discuss the matter with the Myanmar Embassy, as well as coordinate with Nadma and Wisma Putra, he said.
When asked whether the government would consider providing special Aidilfitri aid for SMART personnel involved in the mission, he said the matter would be discussed with the Prime Minister.
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country on Friday, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, northeastern Shan state, Sagaing and Naypyidaw among the worst-hit areas, as well as neighbouring Thailand.
As of yesterday, the death toll from the disaster in Myanmar had reached nearly 2,000, with thousands more injured and hundreds still missing.
— Bernama
