PHNOM PENH: The government of Malaysia has brought Covid-19 supplies to Cambodia to help on the fight against the spread of the virus.
The supplies were transported via a C130 air force plane that landed in Phnom Penh on Friday morning.
The aircraft loaded with medical equipment worth about US$100,00 that can be used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease was warmly welcomed by the Cambodian government led by Lt-Gen Hun Manith.
The Covid-19 related items that were brought to Cambodia include PPEs, test kits, surgical gloves, rubber gloves, face masks, face shields and a US$50,000 donation to aid in the fight against the spread of coronavirus disease.
During the handover ceremony, Datuk Rostam Affendi Salleh, together with the other delegates handed over to Lt Gen Manith a personal letter from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Rostam shared that tMuhyiddin hopes to come and visit Cambodia in the near future which is an Asean norm for a sitting prime minister to visit Asean counterparts after assuming office.
Since he assumed office in Malaysia as prime minister in 2020, he only had visited Indonesia so far and is scheduled to visit Brunei next week. “Our Prime Minister hopes that he can visit Cambodia soon,” Rostam said.
Lt Gen Manith expressed gratitude while receiving the donated items by the Malaysian government during the handover ceremony conducted.
The Cambodian side headed by Lt Gen Manith and the delegates from Malaysia also exchanged words and gifts as a sign of camaraderie.
Rostam, one of the delegates from Malaysia, later told Khmer Times that this is the first time that they have sent Covid-19 related assistance to Cambodia in the middle of the pandemic. However, it is only a first step in strengthening the bond between the two countries, according to him.
“This act is a symbol of a relationship between government to government, people to people, agencies to agencies and department to department,” he said. “In times of need, we need to help each other.”
Malaysia has been following the fight of the Cambodian health authorities to stop the spread of the coronavirus especially now that the Feb 20 Community Incident is a major disaster in the Covid-19 history of Cambodia.
Accordingly, it has been already planned by the Malaysian government to send aid to Cambodia however, due to circumstances brought by Covid-19, it was delayed.
The transport of the supplies on Friday was considered as a big success for the two delegations of each country to meet and express their support to one another especially in the time of Covid-19.
Although the first time that the Malaysian government has sent help to Cambodia since the pandemic, it assures the Cambodian government that this is just one of the many steps of enhancing a stronger relationship between the two.
“We hope to develop a very good understanding and relationship with (LT Gen) Hun Manith and with Prime Minister Hun Sen,” said Rostam.
The C130 aircraft which was full of Covid-19 related items only stayed in Phnom Penh for a couple of hours before it flew back to Malaysia.
