.jpg "Pharmaniaga staff unload boxes of medical supplies donated by the Chinese Embassy in Shah Alam March 24, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 — Wisma Putra today announced that it has received on behalf of Malaysia a donation of face masks and protective gear from a fundraising team in China.
In a brief Facebook post, Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said low-cost airline AirAsia provided free transportation for these goods.
“Malaysian Consul General in Guangzhou, Beh Ching Chye received on behalf of the Government, a generous contribution of 35,000 K95 face masks & 1,120 protective clothing from a Fundraising Team from China. While AirAsia transported the consignment FOC yet again,” it said without elaborating.
Separately, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, in a subsequent Facebook post, said these 35,000 face masks and 1,120 protective gear are currently on the way to Malaysia.
“Thank you to the ‘Fundraising Team of Chinese Volunteers in aid of Malaysia’ for being willing to contribute these medical equipment to Malaysia. Thank you also to the Consulate General of Malaysia in Guangzhou led by Mr. Beh Ching Chye that had worked hard in ensuring these equipment are sent immediately to Malaysia with the assistance of AirAsia that is flying in it for free,” Hishammuddin wrote, adding that these equipment will upon arrival in Malaysia be delivered to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
Previously, Hishammuddin said in a March 16 Facebook post that he met with China’s ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian, noting that the ambassador had pledged to provide medical equipment to Malaysia to help with the Covid-19 fight.
“Based on the special relationship we both share and China’s best experiences in tackling the #coronavirus, he has pledged to assist Malaysia by supplying medical equipment most needed to our nation such as ventilators, face masks, PCR testing kits and sanitisers,” Hishammuddin had written.
On March 19, China’s Embassy here announced its first batch of donation of medical aid, where it donated and delivered 5,000 face masks and 10,000 surgical face shields as an aid to Malaysia’s medical personnel at Hospital Sungai Buloh.
On that day, Hishammuddin wrote on Facebook to thank the Chinese government for quickly delivering its first batch of medical aid donation, noting that it had been just three days after he had discussed with Bai Tian about the possibility of Chinese aid to cope with the Covid-19 outbreak.
Hishammuddin also said then that he had written to his counterpart in China to request for aid in terms of face masks, hand sanitisers and Covid-19 test kits.
On March 24, China’s Embassy in Malaysia said it, together with China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd, donated 5,000 N95 grade face masks, 20,000 medical masks and 1,200 goggles to the Health Ministry for use in the fight against Covid-19.
On March 25, the embassy said it together with China Enterprises Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia (CECCM), China Communications Construction Company ECRL, Chinese humanitarian group Mammoth Foundation as well as BGI Group donated 5,500 Covid-19 test kits to the Health Ministry.
