JOHOR BARU: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan affirms that all Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) 850-13 peacekeepers will remain with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) until its mandate expires in November 2026.
Mohamad said his ministry is ready to take further steps if the government decides to bring home all Malaysian peacekeepers stationed there.
“Member countries appear to agree to maintain their troops there until the mandate ends. The mandate expires in November, so there are a few more months left adding that it also depends on the Defence Ministry. At my level in the Foreign Ministry, whatever decision is made by the Defence Ministry will be brought to the cabinet.
“If the cabinet agrees to any decision, the Foreign Ministry will take the necessary steps for further action,’’ he told reporters while campaigning in the Tiram constituency here Monday as reported by NST.
He said currently the country’s peacekeeping troops are not in an active combat or conflict zone but remain on high alert.
“They are behind (the war zone), not at the frontline. There are other forces at the front. What we are concerned about is stray bullets,” he said.
According to Mohamad, he has been informed by the Defence Ministry and the Defence Minister that there is no longer a need for our Malbatt personnel to conduct patrols.
“They are staying in bunkers and at their respective camps so that safety remains the top priority. There is nothing left to patrol; the area has already become a battlefield,” he said.
He stressed that the country has always prioritised the safety of Malaysian peacekeepers on the ground.
“We cannot withdraw them ourselves. If we take unilateral action to bring them out, it would incur very high costs. When the mandate ends, they will be withdrawn under the UN framework, and from there our troops will return to Malaysia,” he said.
Referring to Malaysia-Thailand Annual Dialogue scheduled to take place in the country in September, Mohamad said focus will be on trade relations, logistics coordination, and finalising land border issues.
He said the annual platform will be fully utilised to resolve several outstanding issues that require coordination at the level of both countries.
