KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia, which sent its first batch of one million medical gloves to Wuhan, China today, will be sending another million on Wednesday, Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said.
The second batch will be sent through a MASkargo flight, following the first batch through an AirAsia flight commissioned by the government on Monday to bring back Malaysians from the 2019 novel coronavirus-hit city.
“This is the first batch of medical gloves to be sent after my announcement on the donation of 18 million medical gloves to China last week,” she said in a statement today.
The one million pieces of latex examination gloves would be received by the Hubei Charity Federation, a Chinese government-designated donation recipient, that would distribute the medical glove supply to healthcare facilities in Wuhan.
The gloves, packed in specially designed boxes by Supermax Glove Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, are being transported via a special flight that would bring back 141 people, comprising 116 Malaysians and 25 non-citizens who are their spouses and children.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had earlier said that only those who have been certified healthy after undergoing an exit screening by the local authorities at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport would be brought back.
Kok said the government is aware of the need for fast response and with the coordination with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia, the National Disaster Management Agency, Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, and Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association have managed to send aid with utmost urgency.
“We are deeply thankful for AirAsia for enabling such a quick response to our government’s request to bring Malaysians home from Wuhan and to transport the urgent medical gloves supply to the healthcare workers in Wuhan who are managing a very large, complex situation.
“As I had announced last Friday, the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC) and nine rubber glove manufacturers in Malaysia have stepped forward to pledge 18 million pieces of medical gloves to Wuhan,” she said.
Besides Supermax, the other companies are Smart Glove, Top Glove, Hartalega, Kossan, YTY, Brightway, Koon Seng, and Careplus.
–NNN-BERNAMA
