M’sia to donate over RM8.6 mil for Turkiye, Syria earthquake victims

PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia will channel over US$2 million (RM8.6 million) to Turkiye and Syria to help victims of the strong earthquake that struck the two countries early Monday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the cabinet has agreed to donate US$1 million for the purpose, while the other US$1 million would come from Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

At the same time, he said the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council had allocated RM10 million in humanitarian aid, mostly to also be channelled to Turkiye dan Syria.

The strong 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkiye and northern Syria early Monday morning, bringing down buildings and killing thousands of people in the two countries. The tremors were reported to have been felt in Cyprus and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia would also deploy its second Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to Turkiye tonight to join in the search-and-rescue operations there.

The team under the National Disaster Management Agency's purview will comprise 70 members of SMART and the Fire and Rescue Department.

“This is because the first team has been so effective, the Turkish government decided to request for more,” he said. – Bernama, February 8, 2023