TAPAH, April 17 — A mission to deploy medical officers to Myanmar to set up a field hospital, set to depart yesterday, was postponed at the request of Myanmar authorities, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said the Myanmar government had requested the postponement as they were still identifying a safe and strategic location for the hospital’s operations, which was part of Malaysia’s humanitarian aid efforts following a devastating earthquake on March 28.
“The area we are heading to is hostile and dangerous. We will be deploying many surgeons and medical teams from the Armed Forces Hospital, so their safety is our priority,” he told reporters in Batu Tiga here today.
Mohamad said he had contacted his counterpart, U Than Swe, to convey Malaysia’s stance that it would not compromise on the safety of its people.
Meanwhile, he said the humanitarian mission was not a reflection of Malaysia’s recognition of the current Myanmar government, but aimed at helping victims of the catastrophe.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin reportedly said the Malaysian Armed Forces field hospital would be set up in Myanmar, with medical teams previously scheduled for deployment yesterday.
— Bernama
