The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) returned home on Monday (April 7) after completing their mission to aid earthquake victims in Myanmar.
At the MAS-01 Team Welcome Ceremony held at the SMART Pulau Meranti Headquarters, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) deputy director-general of operations Datuk Dr Abdul Gapar Abu Bakar said the team underwent health screenings upon arrival and were found to be in good physical and mental condition.
When asked about the possibility of a second deployment, he said there are currently no plans for another mission, but one could be considered if requested.
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At the MAS-01 Team Welcome Ceremony held at the SMART Pulau Meranti Headquarters, National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) deputy director-general of operations Datuk Dr Abdul Gapar Abu Bakar said the team underwent health screenings upon arrival and were found to be in good physical and mental condition.
When asked about the possibility of a second deployment, he said there are currently no plans for another mission, but one could be considered if requested.
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WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
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NewsTranscript
00:00Three times SMART, who are we?
00:03SMART! SMART! SMART!
00:05Three times SMART, who are we?
00:07SMART!
00:08Thank God, the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
00:13has safely returned to the water at 5pm
00:17by boarding two A400TUDM aircrafts.
00:22As many as 50 officers and members of the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
00:29have left the airfield at 12.30pm
00:39with 31 tonnes of life-saving equipment and vehicles.
00:44The team has been welcomed by General Dato' Haji Muhammad Nizam bin Haji Jafar
00:52and Dato' Khairul Syahril bin Idros,
00:57Director of the NADMAH Directorate, as the chief negotiator for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
01:05Also present are representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
01:10and officers from the NADMAH and the Malaysian Army.
01:15All officers and members of the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
01:21have been tested positive for COVID-19.
01:25And alhamdulillah, I would like to inform here
01:28that all of them are in good physical and mental health.
01:34In terms of operations, the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
01:40who arrived in Myanmar on 30 March 2025
01:44has been assigned to the Sagaing sector.
01:48Malaysia is the only team to search and rescue
01:52or SAR among the nations assigned to the area.
01:57During the six-day operation,
02:01the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team has carried out the SAR operation
02:07at 11 work sites.
02:10Most of them are in complex areas
02:13outside the equipment and expertise of the rescue teams.
02:19During the operation,
02:22the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team has carried out the SAR operation
02:28and the most proud thing is the success of the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
02:36in finding a survivor.
02:43A 47-year-old man
02:49was found dead at the K-10 work site
02:53after more than 72 hours
02:56and 10 more people were found dead.
03:00Unfortunately, all 10 people, including 4 children,
03:05have passed away.
03:07We were only able to find a survivor.
03:11This is an achievement that I am very proud of
03:15for the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
03:18in the search and rescue operation this time.
03:22During their operation,
03:28they have faced extreme hot weather
03:32and still active search and rescue operations
03:36in several areas or sites.
03:41So, I think the praise should be given to the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
03:46who continue to cooperate with high endurance.
03:50Moreover, they were assigned a day before Eid al-Fitr,
03:57which we welcomed together on April 1 last year.
04:03So, it is no wonder that we can call the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH team
04:09as a national ambassador for humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
04:14Their efforts to be organized in a short time
04:18with a combination of rescue operations,
04:20thorough preparation,
04:21a complete base of operations,
04:23and sophisticated equipment with high technology
04:27achieved a good reputation during the MAS-01 SMART NADMAH operation
04:34in Turkey in 2023.
04:37This proves Malaysia's commitment
04:40to support the principles of humanity
04:43and solidarity in disaster management.
04:46The mission is over, right?
04:48There will be a second team to help us, right?
04:51Okay, so far we have a mission to search and rescue.
04:56We will end it here.
04:57Unless if there are any further requests,
05:00maybe we will continue.
05:02However, the next level is more towards disaster relief.
05:08In terms of which we are more focused on disaster relief activities
05:13and not so much on the search and rescue team.
05:18For the Myanmar operation this time,
05:20I was assigned as a messenger.
05:23While in Myanmar,
05:25I was also asked or assigned to be one of the rescuers.
05:31Is this your first humanitarian mission?
05:34That's right, this is the first mission I participated in the SMART team.
05:39Can you tell us about the challenges along the way?
05:41One of the challenges I faced was the weather.
05:46The weather is different from that in Malaysia.
05:49Another one is the use of language that is different from ours.
05:55However, in Myanmar there are translators
05:59who can speak Malay.
06:01Thankfully, we were able to communicate well.
06:04What are the challenges for you?
06:06What do you mean by not being able to search?
06:09Are you under siege?
06:12One of the challenges we face in general is the earthquake.
06:19We are aware that earthquakes involve unstable buildings.
06:24That is a challenge for us to access,
06:28a safety challenge for us.
06:30However, as rescuers,
06:32we have been trained to overcome such problems.
06:38One of the challenges I can't forget,
06:41personally,
06:43is when we do rescue work
06:46or access the victims,
06:49the way for the victims to get out,
06:51we can experience an earthquake.
06:54Half of the rescuers are in unstable buildings.
06:59That is a valuable experience for me.
07:04It is also an unforgettable experience
07:07and a challenge for me as a rescuer.
07:12In conclusion,
07:14rescuers are a real threat to our lives.
07:21You are working with men for the first time.
07:25How do you want to adapt to the situation?
07:32Okay.
07:33Regarding Jantina,
07:36we have been trained by the agency
07:39to change our mindset.
07:42We are not involved in Jantina when we are working.
07:46We are also aware that the power of a woman and a man
07:50is very different.
07:53However, we are a smart team
07:56and we are able to cover the shortcomings.
08:01So, when we come there,
08:03we are complete.
08:04There are no shortcomings that people can see.
08:07Are you proud to be able to carry the name of Malaysia
08:10and help the Asian countries?
08:12Oh, yes.
08:13Everyone can go abroad.
08:16Everyone can go abroad,
08:18but it is very difficult for us to go abroad
08:20and carry the Malaysian flag.
08:22So, I am very proud.
08:23As a smart team,
08:25I am very proud to carry the name of Malaysia
08:28and help foreign countries.
08:31We, Maskan Mas 01,
08:33My Team Relief Myanmar Corporation,
08:36say
08:37Selamat Hari Raya Hari Relief!
08:41Masai dan baik!
08:52For more UN videos visit www.un.org