Port Klang: Help is on the way for more than 200,000 Rakhines in Myanmar.
The Putera 1Malaysia Club’s humanitarian mission for the internally displaced people in Myanmar was given the official send-off by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at Northport, here.

The Sinar Bima commercial vessel left yesterday carrying 500 tonnes of necessities and is expected to take about five days to arrive in Sittwe, Myanmar.

The unrest in the Rakhine state between Muslims and Buddhists started after the rape and murder of a Rakhine woman by three Rohingya men on May 28.

The mission was previously scheduled to leave on Sept 5 but was denied clearance by the authorities in Myanmar.

According to Putera 1Malaysia Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, the authorities had denied entry for the initial Royal Malaysian Navy’s KD Sri Indera Sakthi vessel for internal reasons.

“We only obtained clearance on Sept 17. The mission will take more than a week,” he said, adding that some 50 volunteers were expected to leave by Oct 1.

Myanmar Ambassador U Tin Latt, who was present at the ceremony, thanked Malaysians and the club for helping the people in Rakhine regardless of their ethnicity.

Among the essential goods that will be distributed to the people are rice, milk, medicine, towels and slippers. The items, worth more than RM10mil, will be handed to 100,000 families.

Link: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/26/nation/12082909&sec=nation