Earthquake: 50 from Smart off to Myanmar for SAR mission

Fifty members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) left for Naypyidaw, Myanmar, this morning on a humanitarian aid mission to participate in the search and rescue (SAR) operations for earthquake victims.

The 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 RMAFSubang Air Base at 9.30am and 10am, respectively.

The team, led by contingent commander Hafiezul Abdul Halim, comprises 16 personnel from the armed forces, 13 from the police, and 21 from the Fire and Rescue Department.

Deputy Prime Minister 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 Anwar Ibrahim, along with Malaysia as the Asean chair for 2025, are very sympathetic to what is happening in Myanmar and have taken immediate action by mobilising Smart.

"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 team.

Also present were Army Chief General Nizam Jaffar, Nadma director-general Khairul Shahril Idrus, Smart Commander Khairul Jamil, and Myanmar Ambassador to Malaysia Aung Soe Win.

Focus on Myanmar

Zahid, who is also the Central Disaster Management Committee chairperson, said for now, Malaysia’s SAR efforts are primarily focused on Myanmar, given the severe impact of the disaster there compared to 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

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