King advises Malaysians in Beirut to remain vigilant

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, today advised Malaysians in Beirut, Lebanon to remain vigilant and contact the Malaysian embassy for any assistance, enquiries and latest information as well as heed the advice of the local authorities.

Al-Sultan Abdullah, who is the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, also advised the Malaysian Battalion 850-7 (MALBATT 850-7) personnel stationed in Lebanon to take extra precautions while performing duties and operations in the country.

"His Majesty advised MALBATT 850-7 personnel to be constantly on the alert to provide disaster and humanitarian assistance as well as to face any eventuality," said Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin in a statement.

The battalion was deployed to serve for a year under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission since October last year.

He added that His Majesty was very concerned about the safety of Malaysians in the country and following the latest report, Al-Sultan Abdullah was thankful that no Malaysians were affected by the explosion.

"His Majesty prays that all Malaysians in Lebanon continue to be protected from all forms of threats and hardships," he added.

At around midnight Malaysian time Tuesday, Beirut witnessed a fire followed by a massive blast at a warehouse at the port that has left at least 70 people dead and more than 3,000 others injured so far.

-- BERNAMA