SUBANG – Malaysia deployed a rescue team of 50 personnel to quake-stricken Myanmar on March 30, as the death toll from the disaster surpassed 1,600.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also pledged RM10 million (S$3.02 million) in humanitarian aid. A humanitarian mission, led by Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan, will be dispatched to Myanmar next week.
“The mission is aimed at showing Malaysia’s support for the ongoing search and rescue efforts, which include a team from the National Disaster Management Authority (Nadma) currently on the ground, starting today,” Datuk Seri Anwar said in a Facebook post.
He was referring to the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart), consisting of military, police and fire-and-rescue personnel who flew to Myanmar on the morning of March 30.
They loaded two lorries, a Hilux four-wheel drive, search-and-rescue equipment and medical supplies into two military aircraft before departing from the Subang air base.
As the 2025 chair of regional grouping Asean, Malaysia is deeply sympathetic to Myanmar’s situation, said Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi. The immediate deployment of the rescue team reflects Asean’s spirit of humanitarian aid and solidarity, he said.
“We hope our team can reach ground zero and remain there for seven to 14 days, depending on the situation. We aim to provide aid that will expedite the search-and-rescue efforts,” he told the media after flagging off the mission. Myanmar’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr U Aung Soe Win, was also present.
This comes after fellow Asean member Singapore sent an 80-strong team from the Singapore Civil Defence Force to Myanmar on March 29 to assist in rescue efforts.
On March 29, Asean foreign ministers stated that member states are prepared to provide support for relief and recovery through the regional emergency response mechanism.
In their joint statement, they said Asean will work closely to coordinate humanitarian assistance, support and facilitate relief operations, and ensure a timely and effective humanitarian response, with the assistance of the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).
“The coordination of Asean disaster relief will be spearheaded by Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry,” said Datuk Seri Zahid, who is also the chairman of Nadma.
On March 30, Asean foreign ministers held a special emergency meeting on the disaster. Malaysia’s foreign minister Mohamad Hasan, who chaired the meeting, said he was encouraged by the AHA Centre’s swift mobilisation of resources to support immediate relief efforts.
‘Trauma relief supplies from our logistics hubs are already being dispatched to Myanmar, and we will continue to assess and respond to urgent needs on the ground,’ he said in his opening remarks.
On March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, near its second-largest city of Mandalay, resulting in 1,644 deaths and 3,408 injuries so far. The disaster struck at the worst possible time for the country, which is already grappling with a civil war and over 3.5 million internally displaced persons, according to the United Nations.
Myanmar junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing issued a rare call for international assistance before visiting hard-hit Mandalay to assess the situation.
In neighbouring Thailand, the earthquake has claimed at least 17 lives, with dozens more trapped or reported missing after a skyscraper under construction in the capital, Bangkok, collapsed.
Participating in her first overseas mission, Smart member Avlyanie Moidi told journalists she is ready to serve by assisting Myanmar’s earthquake victims.
“Despite my heavy heart leaving my two-year-old child behind, I must do my job. I can’t refuse the call of duty,” the 28-year-old firefighter told the media.
The UN said on March 29 that emergency response efforts in Myanmar were being hindered by a lack of medical supplies, along with damaged roads and communications infrastructure.
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