‘Saving lives comes first’: SMART team joins Myanmar SAR mission, sacrifices Raya with families

Members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) taking part in the search and rescue (SAR) operations in Myanmar are highly motivated and determined despite being so far away from their families during this Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.

One of them, PBK I Mohd Idris Hassan said the call of duty is the priority, even if it means having to miss out on celebrating with families and friends in his hometown.

“I was preparing to return home to Tanah Merah, Kelantan when I received an instruction on Friday (March 28). Without hesitation, I made my way to the SMART headquarters within an hour to get ready to go to Myanmar.

“In 2023, I declined to join a mission to Turkiye because my wife was ill at that time. This time, I did not want to let go of the opportunity to help those in need.