Malaysia to begin bringing Malbatt personnel home from Lebanon in January, says defence minister

The Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) members serving in Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force (Unifil) are expected to start their phased return home in January 2027, as the mission's mandate ends this December.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin outlined that personnel will return via flights while military assets will be shipped starting January 17.

The Minister also expressed Malaysia's conditional readiness to join any potential new UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, emphasizing a commitment to participate only under UN mandates.

He highlighted discussions about regional security during his recent visit to Lebanon, noting ongoing concerns and a suggestion to review the mission's termination.

KOTA TINGGI, Oct 3 — All members of the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) currently serving in Lebanon are expected to begin returning home in January 2027, following the conclusion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mandate at the end of this year.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the withdrawal process for the personnel would be carried out in stages via several flights, followed by the return of military assets by sea starting January 17.

He noted that all battalions operating in Lebanon are scheduled to complete their respective deployments by the end of December, in line with the expiration of the mission’s mandate.

“Our personnel are expected to start returning next January on several flights, while Malaysian military assets will be brought back by ship starting January 17,” he said at a press conference following the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kota Tinggi Muslim Orphanage here today.

In a related development, the Kota Tinggi Member of Parliament expressed Malaysia’s readiness to consider participating in a new peacekeeping force in Lebanon should the United Nations (UN) request it.

However, he said this readiness is subject to the UN’s decision and the mandate provided, as Malaysia will not participate in any military operation that does not fall under the mandate of the world body.

“If the UN decides to establish a new force under whatever name and requires our involvement, Malaysia is prepared to participate.

“However, this is subject to the UN’s decision. We will not participate in any operation that does not fall under the mandate of the relevant world body,” he said.

Elaborating further, Mohamed Khaled said the matter was also addressed during his recent working visit to Lebanon, including in discussions with his counterpart, who indicated that the security situation in the country remains volatile and exposed to various threats.

He noted that a UN conference is currently underway, and many of the countries participating in the peacekeeping mission have expressed the view that the mission’s termination should be reviewed.

Recounting the history of the country’s involvement in Lebanon, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysian military participation began on a small scale in 2007 before the UN approved a full battalion-strength deployment in 2013. — Bernama

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在联合国驻黎巴嫩临时部队（联黎部队）服役的马来西亚营（Malbatt）成员预计将于 2027 年 1 月开始分阶段返回家园，因为该特派团的任务授权将于今年 12 月结束。

国防部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·卡立·诺丁概述，人员将乘飞机返回，而军事装备将从1月17日起陆续运回。

部长还表示，马来西亚有条件地准备加入任何可能在黎巴嫩开展的新的联合国维和行动，并强调马来西亚承诺只在联合国授权下参与。

在他最近访问黎巴嫩期间，他重点讨论了地区安全问题，指出目前仍存在一些令人担忧的问题，并建议重新考虑终止此次任务。

哥打丁宜，10 月 3 日讯——随着联合国驻黎巴嫩临时部队（联黎部队）的任务于今年年底结束，目前在黎巴嫩服役的马来西亚营（Malbatt）所有成员预计将于 2027 年 1 月开始返回家园。

国防部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·卡立·诺丁表示，人员撤离将分阶段进行，先通过多次航班，然后从1月17日起通过海路运回军事资产。

他指出，所有在黎巴嫩作战的营都计划在 12 月底前完成各自的部署，这与该任务的任务授权到期时间一致。

“我们的人员预计将于明年1月开始乘坐多架航班返回，而马来西亚的军事装备将从1月17日起通过船只运回，”他在今天哥打丁宜穆斯林孤儿院奠基仪式后的新闻发布会上说。

另据报道，哥打丁宜国会议员表示，如果联合国提出要求，马来西亚准备考虑参与在黎巴嫩组建新的维和部队。

但他表示，这种准备取决于联合国的决定和授权，因为马来西亚不会参与任何不属于联合国授权范围的军事行动。

“如果联合国决定建立一支新的部队，无论叫什么名字，并且需要我们参与，马来西亚准备参与。”

“但是，这取决于联合国的决定。我们不会参与任何不属于相关国际机构授权范围的行动，”他说。

穆罕默德·哈立德进一步阐述说，在他最近对黎巴嫩进行工作访问期间，也讨论了这个问题，包括与黎巴嫩对口官员的讨论。黎巴嫩对口官员表示，该国的安全局势仍然动荡不安，面临各种威胁。

他指出，联合国目前正在召开会议，许多参与维和行动的国家都表示，应该重新审视维和行动的终止。

穆罕默德·哈立德回顾了马来西亚参与黎巴嫩事务的历史，他表示，马来西亚军队最初于2007年小规模参与黎巴嫩事务，后于2013年获得联合国批准，部署一个完整的营级兵力。——马新社

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