ID :
168643
Wed, 03/16/2011 - 11:20
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/168643
The shortlink copeid
EVACUATION PLAN IN PLACE, BUT NO IMMEDIATE NEED AS YET, SAYS FOREIGN MINISTER
KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has no immediate plans to evacuate its citizens in Japan, and is monitoring the situation very closely, said Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.
He said Malaysia, however, had put the evacuation plan in place, and would move to launch it if the situation worsened in Japan.
Anifah said there were no Malaysians reported living within a 50km radius of the Fukushima nuclear plant facility, which had recorded three explosions and sparked meltdown fear, following the strong quake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale on Friday which resulted in a seven-metre high tsunami.
"If there is a necessity to evacuate (Malaysians) then we will do so because we already have plans and experience (evacuation operations in the political uprising in the Middle East)," he told reporters at the Parliament Lobby here, Wednesday.
Several countries, including China, Russia and France had started to evacuate their citizens out of Japan.
There are 5,009 Malaysian citizens, including 2,100 students, registered with the Malaysian Embassy in Japan.
The Malaysian government had prepared a 67-member rescue team comprising the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart), Fire and Rescue Department, including the Hazardous Material Unit (Hazmat), the Ministry of Health, the Red Crescent Society, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, and the National Security Council to deploy to Japan and awaiting green light from the Japanese government to land at the Haneda Airport, Tokyo.
He said Malaysia, however, had put the evacuation plan in place, and would move to launch it if the situation worsened in Japan.
Anifah said there were no Malaysians reported living within a 50km radius of the Fukushima nuclear plant facility, which had recorded three explosions and sparked meltdown fear, following the strong quake measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale on Friday which resulted in a seven-metre high tsunami.
"If there is a necessity to evacuate (Malaysians) then we will do so because we already have plans and experience (evacuation operations in the political uprising in the Middle East)," he told reporters at the Parliament Lobby here, Wednesday.
Several countries, including China, Russia and France had started to evacuate their citizens out of Japan.
There are 5,009 Malaysian citizens, including 2,100 students, registered with the Malaysian Embassy in Japan.
The Malaysian government had prepared a 67-member rescue team comprising the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart), Fire and Rescue Department, including the Hazardous Material Unit (Hazmat), the Ministry of Health, the Red Crescent Society, the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, and the National Security Council to deploy to Japan and awaiting green light from the Japanese government to land at the Haneda Airport, Tokyo.
