MALBATT Withdrawal Subject To UN Mandate - Mohamed Khaled

KOTA TINGGI, March 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia cannot unilaterally withdraw the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) 850-13 from Lebanon as the deployment is subject to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.

He said Malaysia’s peacekeeping mission is under the United Nations (UN), including command and any decision on troop withdrawal.

“We are bound by the UN. When we agreed to join this mission, the deployment and command of our forces came under the UN,” he told reporters after officiating the JanaVeteran Project by Boustead Plantations Berhad in Telok Sengat here today.

He said any decision, including bringing personnel home, must go through UN processes to ensure compliance with the mission mandate.

On the security situation, he said there had been encounters between MALBATT personnel and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), but the situation remained under control with no untoward incidents.

He said the government’s priority is to ensure the safety of personnel throughout their deployment.

Security measures have been strengthened, including reassessing field operations in line with current developments.

“If necessary, certain roles may be suspended or troop movements restricted as a precaution,” he said.

More than 500 MALBATT personnel are currently stationed in Lebanon under the UNIFIL mission.

On March 25, Mohamed Khaled said no MALBATT 850-13 personnel were injured in several explosion incidents reported near the UNIFIL operational area in southern Lebanon.

He said the incidents followed tensions between the IDF and Hezbollah in the area , adding that the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura continues to monitor the situation and has instructed all peacekeeping forces to remain vigilant.

-- BERNAMA