KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia as Asean chair has urged Myanmar’s military government to extend its ceasefire with opposition groups to facilitate the work of humanitarian and relief missions, following devastation from a massive earthquake over a week ago.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who wrapped up a humanitarian visit to the stricken country yesterday, said Asean was of the view that the ceasefire deadline on April 22 be postponed.
This is to ensure that the international aid Myanmar is receiving will be used effectively.
“If there are things that we see that could threaten the safety of our teams, I will not hesitate to ask our Asean counterparts to review our presence in Myanmar,” Mohamad was reported saying by Bernama during his visit there.
He also urged for the humanitarian ceasefire to serve as a precursor for wider, inclusive dialogue among all Myanmar stakeholders.
“Do not continue with all the conflicts. The most important thing is how the Myanmar people can be rescued and receive assistance.”
The country’s death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28 is now 3,471 as of Saturday, according to local state-run daily, The Mirror. More than 4,000 others are injured and 214 reported missing.
So far, 653 people have been pulled out of the rubble alive, while 682 bodies were retrieved.
Myanmar has been in the grip of civil war since 2021 when the military took over the elected government in a coup.
After a little over a week of search and rescue operations following the earthquake, the country is now seeking help for aid such as medical teams and health facilities, as much of its healthcare infrastructure has been destroyed.
“The search and rescue process is over. Now is the recovery phase. Myanmar needs a lot of international assistance after this. Myanmar needs the assistance of medical teams, equipment and medical facilities such as operating rooms and medical specialists.
“This is because 74 of their hospitals are no longer usable because the buildings are not safe to use.
“Myanmar needs many surgeons, operating rooms and medical volunteers because they (health teams) have to operate under tents,” he said, describing the situation as quite critical,” Mohamad told Bernama.
He said these requests were conveyed during a meeting with Myanmar’s chairman of the National Administrative Council (SAC) Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Foreign Minister U Than Shwe. Mohamad met the two leaders with Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
Mohamad said he had spoken to the Malaysian Armed Forces’s director-general of the medical corps, Gen. Datuk Seri Zulkefli Mat Jusoh, to begin plans for sending health teams.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART) will return from Myanmar tomorrow after one week of aiding in the search for earthquake victims, as no more survivors have been found, Mohamad added.
“SMART found only one person alive and all the others have died,” he told Bernama.
The SMART team had been assigned to Sagaing Region, the epicentre of the quake.
Later, in a statement issued by Wisma Putra on behalf of Asean, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to continue channeling assistance and long-term support.
He said Malaysia had handed over 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid, and another flight carrying additional aid is scheduled to arrive in Nay Pyi Taw tomorrow. – April 6, 2025