ATM to send team to survey needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

The Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) is sending a team to Dhaka on Monday to to discuss with the Bangladeshi government on the Rohingya issue.

ATM Chief General Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor said the team, led by Chief of Staff at the ATM headquarters Lt Gen Datuk Abdul Halim Jalal, would also be tasked to survey the aid and other necessities required by the Rohingya refugees.

"The team will also survey the security level of ATM members and officers in Bangladesh for humanitarian mission," he told a media conference after the launch of the Humanitarian Mission " Negaraku Prihatin" by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base here today.

To a question whether a field hospital would be set up in Bangladesh, Raja Mohamed Affandi said the matter needed to be discussed first.

"ATM has a special team that can be mobilised at any time to assist in humanitarian mission," he said.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry's Strategic Communication Unit, in a statement issued to the media, said the team would be sent to obtain the real picture and identify the form of humanitarian aid that could be provided by the ministry and ATM.

It said the team would look into placement plan for the ATM contingent and physical assistance provided by the Bangladeshi government, such as force protection, and vehicle, communications and emergency support equipment facilities.

Today, 12 tonnes of food aid and other necessities were sent to Chittagong, Bangladesh, using two A400M TUDM aircraft.

Meanwhile in PASIR SALAK, Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said the humanitarian aid extended by Malaysia for the Rohingya refugees at the Bangladesh-Myanmar border reflectd the government's concern for their suffering.

He said Malaysians should be proud to have such a government as not all countries would do the same as Najib did.

"We sympathise, are sad and disappointed with what is happening to the Rohingya community," he told reporters at a programme organised by Pasir Salak UMNO in Felcra Changkat Lada here today.

-- BERNAMA