Kuala Lumpur: The mission to deploy medical officers to Myanmar to establish a field hospital has been postponed following a request from Myanmar’s authorities, as announced by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. The deployment was initially scheduled for departure yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Myanmar government requested the postponement to allow more time to identify a safe and strategic location for the hospital’s operations. This initiative is part of Malaysia’s humanitarian aid efforts in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the region on March 28.

Foreign Minister Mohamad emphasized the risks associated with the mission, noting, “The area we are heading to is hostile and dangerous. We will be deploying many surgeons and medical teams from the Armed Forces Hospital, so their safety is our priority.” He conveyed these concerns after visiting the Batu Tiga District Polling Centre.

Mohamad further stated that he had reached out to his Myanmar counterpart, U Than Swe, to affirm Malaysia’s unwavering stance on prioritizing the safety of its personnel. He also clarified that the humanitarian mission should not be interpreted as Malaysia’s recognition of Myanmar’s current government but rather as an effort to aid those impacted by the disaster.

Earlier, on April 15, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had reported plans for the Malaysian Armed Forces Field Hospital to be set up in Myanmar, with medical teams originally scheduled for deployment yesterday.