KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s readiness to send peacekeeping forces abroad, including to Gaza, reflects its determination and active role in supporting global peace and stability, says Adly Zahari.
The Deputy Defence Minister said Malaysia had conveyed to the UN Security Council its readiness to deploy a battalion of peacekeepers should the mandate for the Gaza peacekeeping mission be approved by the international body.
Although the decision is subject to UN consideration, Malaysia, Adly said, would continue to promote and support efforts to establish the peacekeeping force as part of its universal humanitarian responsibility.
"Through the Asean platform recently, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) also conveyed to the UN Secretary-General Malaysia’s aspirations and commitment to strengthening international peacekeeping missions,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Oct 29).
He said this in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (PN-Tanah Merah) on Malaysia’s readiness to deploy peacekeepers to Gaza.
Elaborating, Adly said the peacekeeping mission attracted significant interest from Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) personnel, with many showing strong enthusiasm and commitment to serve internationally.
At the same time, he said the welfare of defence personnel serving abroad, including their health and family well-being, remained a priority for the government, with support provided through UN incentives.
Responding to Ikmal Hisham’s original question on the demobilisation of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) 850-12 and ATM assets from Lebanon, Adly said that the mission under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) would be continued by Malbatt 850-13 from Nov 15, 2025, to Nov 15, 2026.
"The entire Malbatt 850 will withdraw in phases from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2027. For this purpose, the Defence Ministry has established a special team to oversee the phased withdrawal and repatriation of ATM assets and personnel from Lebanon,” he said.
"For the management of ATM assets, a detailed assessment is being conducted in accordance with asset management procedures and operating costs. The assessment will determine whether the assets should be repatriated or disposed of according to the prescribed procedures,” he said.
Adly said Malaysia currently has 198 armoured vehicles and other logistical assets in Lebanon, and Unifil has proposed that some of the assets be transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces or local authorities.
"For strategic assets that need to be repatriated, we will bring them back as determined by the ministry. For health assets, such as field hospitals and other medical facilities, we may collaborate with local hospitals in Lebanon for humanitarian purposes and to ensure continuity of operations,” he said.- Bernama
