KOTA KINABALU: A major multinational humanitarian mission and a US diplomatic initiative have brought over 500 international personnel and prominent American figures to Sabah this week for a series of civic, defence, and cultural activities.
The two-week Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) exercise, running from Sept 2 to 15, serves as the centrepiece of the international presence. The humanitarian assistance and disaster-preparedness deployment involves 502 personnel: 187 from the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), 192 from the US military, and 75 from seven partner nations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the United Kingdom, alongside 48 non-governmental organisation delegates.
Joint Forces Commander Lt-Gen Datuk Seri Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim said that PP26 is a non-conventional military operation focused strictly on inter-agency disaster readiness.
"Disasters do not recognise borders, making such cooperation essential," Tengku Muhammad Fauzi said at the opening ceremony at INTAN Sabah on Thursday (Sept 5).
Engineering units from Malaysia, the United States, South Korea, and Australia have completed 25 days of structural improvements, including constructing a gazebo, an observation deck, and sports facility upgrades at SK Babagon Toki in Inanam. Additional infrastructure work is underway at the Telipok Health Clinic outpatient waiting area.
PP26 operations will culminate on Sept 12 with a joint maritime search-and-rescue exercise off ODEC Beach at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, simulating a major vessel collision in Sepanggar Bay.
Concurrently, the US Embassy hosted "Freedom 250 Sabah" from Sept 1 to 3 to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence. The event featured a youth football clinic for 500 local participants led by former US international soccer stars Shannon Boxx and Tony Sanneh, a 4.1km fun run drawing 600 runners, and educational outreach on STEM and English-language programs.
