THE Crisis Relief Squad of MCA (CRSM) participated in a series of international rescue exchange activities under the “Light Mission” International Challenge in Hunan, China.
Invited by China Blue Sky Rescue, the county’s largest non-governmental relief organisation, CRSM joined other rescue organisations and professional teams from various countries in observation sessions, knowledge sharing and realistic rescue simulation exercises, promoting deeper cooperation and the exchange of experience among international civil rescue forces.
During the event, CRSM and China Blue Sky Rescue signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), marking a new phase of long-term, institutionalised and strategic cooperation.
Under it, the sides will collaborate in areas including training and capacity building, exchange of technical expertise and standard operating procedures, joint drills and operational cooperation, equipment and resource sharing, humanitarian assistance and personnel exchange mechanisms.
CRSM national chief Datuk Lim Chong Ly led the delegation and attended the opening ceremony where she expressed deep respect for the rescue personnel of Blue Sky Rescue and acknowledged the organisation’s contributions to disaster response and development of civil emergency systems, according to a CRSM media release.
Disasters knew no borders and rescue efforts should likewise have no boundaries, she said, emphasising that the MOU represented a commitment by both civil rescue forces to jointly safeguard lives.
She further highlighted that Malaysia had increasingly faced monsoon-related flooding in recent years and adoption of international best practices would help strengthen local volunteer rescue capabilities in search and rescue operations, disaster response and post-disaster assistance.
Throughout the exchange, CRSM gained valuable insights from the Blue Sky Rescue system, particularly in structured incident command coordination, standardised training and operational procedures, cross-regional volunteer mobilisation and rapid response and resource integration during the early stages of disasters.
These experiences would serve as important references for strengthening Malaysia’s local rescue training and operational systems, CRSM said.
China Blue Sky Rescue commander-in-chief Zhang Yong said continued cooperation and joint training would further enhance the professional standards and coordination capabilities of regional civil rescue forces, contributing to the advancement of humanitarian rescue efforts.
CRSM said it would bring back the knowledge and operational best practices gained from the international exchange and continue to work closely with Malaysia’s National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and relevant authorities to further strengthen the country’s civil rescue and disaster response capabilities.
“Light Mission” International Challenge centres on high-intensity rescue simulations covering water rescue, structural collapse rescue, rope techniques and wilderness search and survival operations.
It is designed to replicate real disaster environments and assess team coordination, command capability, emergency response and operational safety.
Through multi-scenario training, the event enhances interoperability among international rescue teams and strengthens collective disaster response capacity.
This participation further expands cooperation networks between Malaysian and international civil rescue organisations, and lays a stronger foundation for future cross-border disaster response collaboration and humanitarian assistance efforts.
