ARMED FORCES READY TO HELP
We’ve sent aid before, but no requests now, says chief
THE armed forces are ready and willing to send a humanitarian mission to Palu in Sulawesi, Indonesia. However, Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin said there was no request from Indonesia for any aid.
“Prior to this, we helped by sending aid on board our A400M and C-130 transport aircraft.
“Alhamdulilah (praise be to God), our men completed those missions and our assets, including a navy ship, returned to Malaysia on Oct 10.
“Nevertheless, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and Navy are ready if any aid is requested from our neighbour.
“We are ready to move at any time,” he said after an event to commemorate the 85th Armed Forces Day at the Subang airbase here yesterday.
Present were Army chief General Datuk Seri Ahmad Hasbullah Mohd Nawawi, RMAF General Tan Sri Affendi Buang and Navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Ahmad Badaruddin.
At the event, 65 permanently disabled soldiers and veterans were feted and given donation of RM500 each from the Armed Forces Welfare Fund.
Zulkifli said the armed forces was satisfied with its mission to send aid to Indonesia.
He said this was especially so when it came to the use of the Airbus A400M Atlas.
“We sent heavy items, such as tanker lorries, which are needed by the republic so that water can be brought to affected areas.
“The use of the A400M can be considered as highly significant. Also, Malaysia was one of the first countries to offer aid.”
On Sept 28, Sulawesi was hit by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which was followed by a tsunami that washed over Palu and Donggala.
Work to locate victims has since been called off, with Indonesian authorities putting the death toll at just under 2,000 at present.