KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today proposed that members of the Malaysian Special Search And Rescue Force (SMART) involved in the search and rescue (SAR) mission for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria be given a special allowance.
Along with that, he suggested they also be given certificates of appreciation and special service medals for their sacrifices and commitment.
"I will discuss with the Treasury (regarding the allowance rate) according to their period of service," he said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
Last Monday, Anwar left for Turkiye to express moral support to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the people of the republic who were hit by an earthquake early last week which had claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said he has given approval for the SMART team, which is supposed to be in Turkiye for two weeks, to extend their stay there at Erdogan's request.
He said this was because thousands of victims are still buried under the rubble and will take time and more manpower to retrieve them.
The prime minister said members of the SMART team should be duly commended and appreciated for their commitment.
"We have never had our (SMART team) members work in cold weather. During my conversation with them, none complained of being tired, nor about their food and drinks, but they are grateful to be able to work, to be able to serve well and pray in congregation," he added.
According to Anwar, Team Malaysia at Ground Zero under SMART consisted of 140 members, while 110 members were at the field hospital in Adiyaman is 110 members.
The Prime Minister also reiterated the Turkish government's appreciation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the government and the Malaysian Parliament for the assistance and condolences, as well as the efficiency of the SMART team.
Regarding claims by certain parties that the government was "excessive" in providing assistance to Turkiye, Anwar said the government took into account the massive damage caused by the earthquake.
"The effect of the earthquake is extraordinary. Based on media coverage and through briefings that were held, the tremors exceeded that caused by the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (during World War 2)," he said.
The prime minister said the aid was also given on the basis of the special friendship, which is not only of a personal nature, but also the special relationship between Malaysia and Turkiye.
"Thirdly, which many are not aware of, Turkiye has provided direct and indirect assistance to efforts by the government, including to government-owned companies in the country, which amounted to millions of ringgit. This rarely happens in our bilateral relations with other countries," he said.
In a related development, Anwar said he would propose additional humanitarian aid from the Malaysian government to Turkiye and Syria at the Cabinet meeting this Friday due to the still dire situation in both countries.
The Prime Minister also said that the amount of humanitarian aid collected for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria now amounted to RM50 million.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Thu Feb 16 2023
Anwar said he has also given approval for the SMART team to extend their stay there at Erdogan's request. - Filepic
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