BUTTERWORTH, Aug 28 - Malaysia is coordinating the delivery of aid to Nepal following the devastating floods in the country, including the possibility of deploying the Malaysian Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART), said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The National Security Council (NSC) is in close contact with Kathmandu to determine the appropriate form of assistance, whether financial aid or deploying rescue personnel.
“At the moment, the NSC is coordinating whether we should send the SMART team or aid, which we will decide,” he told the media after Friday prayers at Masjid Sembilang today.
Anwar added that several countries, including India, China, and Bangladesh, have also provided assistance following the disaster, which he described as unprecedented in scale.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) is obtaining the latest list of Malaysians in the affected areas, while efforts to ascertain their status were ongoing.
He also urged families of Malaysians in the affected areas to contact Wisma Putra through the provided channels to help obtain the latest information.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister instructed all relevant departments, including MKN and Wisma Putra, to immediately identify and contact Malaysians affected by the disaster.
Earlier, Wisma Putra said 57 Malaysians remained uncontactable following Wednesday's (August 26) floods at the Nepal-Tibet border areas.
The latest figure was based on reports received from family members, friends and employers as of 11pm yesterday.
