TANJONG KARANG, March 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that the government would evaluate whether Malaysia should send a Special Malaysian Search and Rescue Team (SMART) to assist the Japanese government.
He said that so far, the Japanese government had not given any agreement on the participation of SMART in search and rescue efforts following the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country because the situation there was still uncertain and it was difficult for outsiders to operate there.
"That's why the SMART team could not move yet and we will evaluate the situation whether to send a team later or not," he said at a press conference after launching the 'Program Nadi Kasih' at Kg Sungai Gulang-Gulang, here.
Asked on the threat of nuclear radiation following the explosion at the Fukushima Daiichi generation plant in that country, he said : "That is one of the factors... it means that the situation concerning the damage at the nuclear generation plant there poses a high risk unless the authorities in Japan knows to what extent the damage poses a danger to radiation exposure."
Japan was struck by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake which resulted in a 10-metre high tsunami in the north-eastern region on the country on Friday.
In KUALA LUMPUR, the Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie said the Japanese government was not ready to accept too many incoming aid and voluntarily missions from other countries including Malaysia as the strong earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on Friday had damaged many parts of the country and affected its governance system.
He said the situation in the country was still bad and all personnel in the government ministries and agencies had been directed to coordinate the search and rescue efforts.
"The situation is bad. All the people who are working with all ministries now have to engage with all the problems occurring after the earthquake.
"For now, we may not be ready yet to receive more countries and volunteers with good intentions to help out in resolving the problems," he told a press conference at the embassy, here.
Malaysia's National Security Council is still waiting for approval from the Japanese Government to land at Haneda International Airport, Tokyo and provide search and rescue aid.
Masahiko also explained that Japan was a country consisting of many small villages especially in the rural areas and that made it difficult to record the number of missing persons.
"We are still searching and as we continue, we found hundreds of dead bodies trapped under damaged houses ...yet we are still unable to detect how many are still missing," he said.
On the Nuclear Power Plant, Masahiko said all Fukushima Daiichi personnel were focusing on stopping the leakage of radioactive materials as well as trying to stabilize it.
"Our Prime Minister Naoto Kan had ordered the evacuation of people staying within a 20km radius from the nuclear plant.
"People outside 20-30km radius are advised not to get out of their house to avoid the radiation effect," he said.
The Reactor in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant exploded on Saturday causing leakage of radioactive materials.
Masahiko also said that the Japanese government appreciated the condolence messages sent by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
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