Malaysia will lead 14 countries in a humanitarian aid mission to Myanmar through the 1Malaysia Putera Club (KP1M) and the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation (MAPIM), on Jan 31.

KP1M president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim said the mission will involve 245 volunteers, including 150 from Malaysia.

"This time, Malaysia is le KP1Mading a humanitarian aid mission which we call 'Food Flotilla For Myanmar' for which 10 volunteers from Turkey are already here to join us.

"Among other countries which will participate in this mission are the United Kingdom (UK), Holland, France, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Cambodia," he told reporters here, today.

Abdul Azeez said about 1,500 tonnes of donation items including food, clothing and hardware would be taken there and distributed among the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

"In addition we will also bring 40 physicians, several priests and monks on this mission," said Abdul Azeez.

On the Myanmar Government's stance towards the mission, he said they had already consulted with Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) and written an official letter to the President of Myanmar, hoping our arrival there is not misconstrued by any party.

"We are still discussing about the do's and the dont's ... maybe they will say you can come, but you can leave us the food and you go back, but we (will) say no, we will do the distribution, we want to do it ourselves," he said.

He said the mission was expected to take 25 days.

Meanwhile, eight non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Perak today gathered to protest against Myanmar's military on the oppression of the Rohingya people in the country.

The NGOs concerned were Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) Parit, Perkasa Perak Tengah, Titi Gantung 4B Youth Movement, Kampung Selat Tronoh 4B Youth Movement, MAPIM Parit, MAPIM Seri Iskandar, Sepak Takraw Association of Perak Tengah, and the Parit Badminton Club.

Parit Badminton Club advisor, Datuk Akmar Hisham Mokhles, who is also the Prime Minister's press secretary said the rally held at the grassroots level was to express concern on the violence against ethnic Rohingya Muslims.

-- BERNAMA