Monday, October 8, 2012

KP1M aid for refugees arrives in Myanmar

By MOHD HAFIZEE MOHD AROP

  YANGON: Malaysian vessel Sinar Bima, carrying 500 tonnes of living and medical supplies for Myanmar refugees, has reached the country’s landing waters and is waiting to anchor at the port here.

The vessel, which was flagged off by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for Putra 1Malaysia Club (KP1M) mission to help the Myanmar refugees, took five days to reach here on Sunday midnight.

KP1M logistics coordinator Noor Azmi Abu Bakar said the team is now waiting for customs clearance to enable the goods to get tax exemption.


He said KP1M does not expect any disruptions as they had secured permission for landing from the Myanmar government and also the tax exemption before the vessel left Malaysia.


“After landing, it would take up to 15 hours to transport all the containers and all the aid would be taken out to load it unto the barge.


“The supplies would be carried by barge with the capacity of 1000 tonnes and shipped to Sittwe Port, which would take 15 days,” he said after a discussion with the Malaysian Ambassador of Myanmar Dr Ahmad Faisal Muhamad.


Noor Azmi said the aid was to be transported by trucks initially, but recent landslides have blocked the path that the team had planned to take.


KP1M vice president Mohd Farid Hassan, who heads the advance team in the mission, said discussion is still ongoing whether to bring the main team of volunteers by road as it takes two days to travel by land rather than the five-day travel by sea.


The advance team of 14 members including doctors and four media personnel were sent to evaluate the current situation here and build a medical base before the main team arrives.


The main team is expected to arrive on Sunday to proceed with the mission to help the internally displaced people of Myanmar who are seeking shelter in refugee camps following clashes between the Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingyan Muslims since last May.

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