Malaysian Medical Relief Society or Mercy Malaysia has denied having had any knowledge or being involved with the 44 doctors who are supposed to leave next week for Sri Lanka to do voluntary humanitarian work.

When contacted by Malaysiakini for clarification, a Mercy Malaysia spokesperson who requested anonymity, said that she was "not aware of any groups sending doctors under us."

mercy malaysia sri lanka dr jemilah mahmood 100609 03 "If at all we send volunteers, it will be solely under our organisation and they will be known as Mercy Malaysia volunteers," she added.

She also said that she was unaware of the claims by the Malaysian Ceylonese Congress (MCC) and Global Peace Initiative that they were sending several doctors, including specialists to Sri Lanka, which has been devastated by a 30-year separatist war.

Malaysiakini then spoke to K Arumugam of Global Peace Initiative who said that they had yet to meet up with Mercy Malaysia to send volunteers.

"We plan to meet them within the next couple of days and discuss the volunteer issue and hand over donations collected from members of the public."

He said that the donations were in the form of cash and kind like canned food and medicines.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Ceylonese Congress president Dr NKS Tharmaseelan, clarified that his organisation had sent doctors to Sri Lanka in the past under Mercy Malaysia in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami.

"We have yet to contact Mercy Malaysia this time round but we plan to send them via Mercy Malaysia on 16th June 2009."

All are welcome, but...

Mercy Malaysia president Dr Jemilah Mahmood said that they welcome volunteers from NGOs and other bodies as long as they subscribe to universal values such as being apolitical and non religious.

mercy malaysia sri lanka dr jemilah mahmood 100609 01 She also said that volunteers are also required to go through a special training programme that will equip them to work in conflict and disaster zones.

In addition volunteers are also required to a sign and comply with Mercy Malaysia's charter on accountability that is endorsed by International Committee Red Cross/Crescent and other international NGOs.

Until and unless volunteers can comply and agree with these basic requirements, Dr Jemilah said, no volunteer could travel under the Mercy Malaysia banner.

On claims that Mercy Malaysia is currently operating hospitals in Sri Lanka, Dr Jemilah denied that her organisation is involved any such projects.

She said that Mercy Malaysia is at present equipping a central health post that will serve as a referral centre for 60,000 people in Menik Farm, Cheddikulam.

The town is situated in the northern Tamil majority region which came under heavy fire during the last days of the Sri Lankan separatist war fought between the government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Today, Mercy Malaysia began operating its second project also in Menik Farm.

This second project is being jointly carried out with the World Health Organisation.

Working in containers

"We will be continuing with our first project, also in Menik Farm, where we transformed four 40 - foot containers and turned them into a health post, complete with outpatient and in-patient facilities. Each post would be serving 40,000 internally displaced persons," added Dr Jemilah.

mercy malaysia sri lanka dr jemilah mahmood 100609 02 "The only groups Mercy Malaysia is directly working with are amongst the Sri Lankan people. Our main partners in Sri Lanka are the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies Sri Lanka, Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition and the World Health Organisation."

There are currently six Mercy Malaysia representatives in Sri Lanka , two of whom are doctors.

On another note she said that they would prefer donations in cash rather than kind because the latter does not take into account logistics and transportation costs which can cost more than donated items.

Donation in kind, such as medicine is only acceptable if they are small enough to be carried by hand or when cargo charges are waived.

Mercy Malaysia has started their Sri Lanka Relief Fund on April Fund on 25 April 2009. They have so far collected RM 11,000 and with RM 10,000 in pledges.

It is also using its reserve funds amounting to RM1,000,000 to assist the displaced Tamil minority community

Members of public who would like to donate for Sri Lanka's internally displaced people can do so by obtaining further information on Mercy Malaysia's website.

The group welcomes more donations to assist the displaced communities in Sri Lanka.

(Photos courtesy of Mercy Malaysia)