SUBANG: A total of 150 personnel from the first group of the Malaysian Battalion (MalBatt) 850-13 contingent departed for Lebanon Wednesday (Nov 5) to continue their duties under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mission.
Malaysian Armed Forces Chief Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar officiated the deployment ceremony and presented United Nations (UN) Berets to all departing personnel at the Subang Air Base, here.
He said the 12-month mission involves fewer personnel than previous deployments, as the contingent led by Col Mohd Rizwan Abdullah is the final group assigned to the mission.
"Malaysia's involvement with the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) since 2007 marks an important chapter in the Malaysian Armed Forces' (MAF) role in Lebanon.
"I myself once served as the second MalBatt commander. This is a historic deployment because, apart from bringing home part of our equipment, we will also continue to provide training to the Lebanese Armed Forces during our stay there," he told reporters after the ceremony.
He said some equipment will be handed over to the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the repatriation of remaining assets is expected to begin in stages by mid-next year.
MalBatt 850-13 comprises 532 personnel, including 68 officers and 442 other ranks, with three officers and 18 personnel from the RBAF, as well as one finance officer from the Defence Ministry, and the deployment is divided into four phases.
Meanwhile, Mohd Nizam said Malaysia remains positive and committed to deploying peacekeeping troops to Gaza if required.
"We hope all plans can proceed as scheduled. Malaysia is committed, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already announced Malaysia's readiness to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza," he said.
He added that several deployment structure options have been proposed, including a fully mechanised unit or a combined logistics and medical team, depending on the mandate received.
"By the end of this year, we expect a final decision on whether the deployment will be under an UN mandate or otherwise. The MAF is always ready," he said. - Bernama
