KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he contacted Senior General Min Aung Hlaing yesterday to convey his condolences on behalf of Malaysia following the earthquake that struck Myanmar.
Anwar said that as the Chair of ASEAN in 2025, Malaysia is committed to standing with the people of Myanmar in facing this difficult time.
“Malaysia and ASEAN will continue to support humanitarian aid efforts that are actively underway, including through the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) that has been deployed to Myanmar early today to join in the search and rescue (SAR) operations in the worst-hit areas,” he posted on Facebook today.
Anwar added that a humanitarian mission, led by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, is scheduled to leave for Myanmar soon.
The Prime Minister said he also informed Min about the Special Emergency ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting organised by Malaysia yesterday to mobilise support for Myanmar.
In a related development, Anwar said he also contacted his counterpart from Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to express his condolences and sympathy following the devastating earthquake in the region that also affected the neighbouring country.
“At the same time, I also brought up several matters concerning both countries, including ASEAN’s continued determination to facilitate and assist Myanmar in finding a peaceful resolution to the crisis in that country.
“Insya-Allah, our conversation today will be followed by further discussions during my working visit to Bangkok on April 17, at the invitation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra,” he said.
The 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday (March 28) killed more than 1,600 people, injured over 3,400 and caused widespread destruction.
Anwar had previously announced that Malaysia has pledged an initial sum of RM10 million in humanitarian aid to support the people of Myanmar affected by the devastating earthquake.
Malaysia has also sent two Royal Malaysian Airforce (RMAF) aircraft to Naypyidaw, carrying 50 SMART personnel along with essential equipment to support the search and rescue operations.
The mission is led by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), in collaboration with the Defence Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Malaysian Embassy in Yangon. – Bernama
