My second lead story (New Sunday Times, Jan 22)

ARMED FORCES' MISSION TO HELP AFGHANS REBUILD LIVES

Because it has an established organisation and a chain of command, the military is always the first choice of the authorities in responding to emergencies and disasters.

Other than disaster operations, our troops have also been deployed abroad, namely in Lebanon, Afghanistan and Mindanao in the Philippines.

Malaysia is also setting a modern benchmark by sending our female soldiers to serve the frontline in educating the women in Afghanistan on maternal health and midwifery.

However, according to Brig-Gen Datuk Dr Samsudin Suirman from the military's Joint Force Headquarters health department J9, the MAF will only provide assistance when there is a request by the foreign governments and after being approved by the cabinet.

"MAF does not send its team to any country without a request. All our missions abroad are on a government-to-government basis or via the United Nation's Mission."

In July 2010, under the operational command of the Malcon-ISAF (the Malaysian Contingent for International Security Assistance Forces), a contingent comprising of medical personnel from the Royal Malaysian Medical and Dental Corp, which includes a command, administration and security elements, was sent to several remote districts in Afghanistan.

The contingent, which is managed by the Joint Forces Command (JFC) headquarters at the Defence Ministry, Kuala Lumpur, works closely with the Afghan's Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).

"The Afghan government invited the MAF to provide humanitarian services in Central Bamyan, Yadkawlang, Waras and Panjab.

"We are there solely to provide medical and humanitarian services, not as part of the coalition forces.

"Our mission in Afghanistan is different from other missions that the JFC headquarters manages.

"Other than the core services of medical and dental health, the joint force team, comprising the Malaysian army, navy and air force, also holds various programmes to help the community in capacity building and institutional development."

According to Major Dr Mohd Arshil Moideen, head of the public health team of Malcon2-ISAF, the MAF initially provided medical and dental services, and some medical training.

After the United States announced that it would pull its forces from Afghanistan by 2014, the Malaysian team decided to shift its mission to capacity building.

"We decided to help the community to stand on their own feet. We also act as an adviser to the MOPH in terms of health governance.

"When we first arrived in Afghanistan, we came up with an observation report, which was the first ever report on the country over the problems in the health sector.

"We identified the health needs and developed a three-year action plan until 2014 to help the community identify its problems and ways to solve them," says Arshil, who is a clinical epidemiologist.

He adds that the Malcon-ISAF team, which currently comprises 40 medical personnel, carries out various activities, but the milestone project was collaborating with MOPH in field water safety and testing, and constructing a water filtration system to enable the community to have safe drinking water.

On sending our female soldiers to Afghanistan, Arshil says the presence of MAF women soldiers helps the Afghan women to open up and reveal the problems faced by them and their children more comfortably.

"Afghanistan has the world's highest maternity mortality rate, and in Bamyan, where there is little or no proper road and communication access, it can take up to three days of travelling for these women to seek medical help.

"So, we plan to set up maternity homes at several locations in the province for these women, especially those with higher risk for delivery complications, to stay over close to the hospital until they give birth."

Indeed, there have been misconceptions on the presence of the armed forces in a foreign country such as Afghanistan, which has been torn by war and conflict for more than 40 years.

But as Samsudin puts it, the Malaysian troops are there for a "different kind of battle".

"Our men and women are there as a partner for peace and stability.

"We are on a mission to help, to the best of our resources and capacity, in the institutional development of the country. It is our contribution as fellow human beings."

Read more: Armed forces’ mission to help Afghans rebuild lives - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/armed-forces-mission-to-help-afghans-rebuild-lives-1.38605#ixzz1lP8W1pWh