GOVT CONSTANTLY MONITORS SAFETY OF MALBATT IN LEBANON, KEEPS ALMOST DAILY CONTACT - PM ANWAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- The government, through the Ministry of Defence (Mindef), is constantly monitoring the situation of the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-11, which is currently undertaking peacekeeping missions in southern Lebanon, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the ministry also keeps almost daily contact with their personnel there to ensure the presence and safety of all involved.

“We are committed to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and bound by the United Nations (UN) charter. At present, our Ambassador (to Lebanon Azri Mat Yacob) is still in Beirut and is monitoring the situation.

“There have been some calls urging us to withdraw (from Lebanon), but we stand with UNIFIL, and we are making decisions collectively with Indonesia and Brunei,” he said in reply to Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) and Ahmad Tarmizi Sulaiman (PN-Sik) regarding the peacekeeping forces.

Anwar said that the rotation of MALBATT 850-12 is scheduled to begin from Nov 6 to 18.

Meanwhile, Anwar said that Malaysia, along with 33 other UNIFIL contributing countries, has issued a joint statement led by Poland to condemn Israel’s attacks in Lebanon.

“Even major powers in recent history have not been as reckless, brutal, and oppressive as Israel has been right now.

“There was hardly any country that willingly disregarded all international laws, rules and regulations, to the extent of putting UN personnel in Lebanon at risk,” he said.

As such, he said Malaysia will continue to uphold the necessity of deploying UNIFIL members to maintain security in the conflict-stricken region.

Other than Malaysia, 50 UN member countries are also participating in the UNIFIL mission, with a total of 10,058 personnel and officers involved.

-- BERNAMA