by Mergawati Zulfakar
The Star
September 6, 2011
COMMENT

There was sound advice from an advance team that the Somalia aid mission should be put on hold. However, it is said that the advice was not heeded. Now, a family, friends and colleagues mourn a wasteful loss.

JUST three days before the Putera 1Malaysia Club Malaysian volunteers left for Somalia on Aug 28, a seven-member reconnaissance team comprising government officials, a high-ranking military officer and media members arrived in Mogadishu.

Their objective was to check the security situation and secure the safety of Malaysians from the Soma­lis for the humanitarian mission.

Media members were also included as they were supposed to give feedback how best their colleagues could do their job when they arrive in Somalia.

The recce team’s verdict?

It was a risky trip.

Recommendations were also made that if the humanitarian mission wanted to go, it should leave after Hari Raya to make sure all the preparations were in place.

When the team reported back to Putrajaya, the order was to stay put and wait for the team that was coming from Malaysia just a few days before Ramadan ends.

The team in Somalia met their local contacts and went up to the highest level to make all the arrangements, despite the known risks.

Another recommendation made by the recce team was for mission leader Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim to concentrate their work and set up a clinic at one selected camp for the refugees.

Unfortunately, this too was ignored. The mission decided to move from one place to another, inadvertently increasing the danger for the members who were travelling.

One of the reporters who followed the mission, TV3’s Shaharil Kadir who was interviewed on Buletin Utama Sunday night was spot on when he said preparation was important.

“But the notice that was given to us was too short. This mission is in a war zone, so certainly a longer period of time must be given for preparation and there must be standard operating procedures,” Shaharil said.

A journalist who went for the trip was asked by an officer why he was not wearing a safety vest.

His reply: “I asked for one from the company but the company said to just go ahead.”

According to an international news agency journalist, his company provides training for reporters assigned to war zones.

“It is an intensive three-day course conducted by former commandos. It provides a long list of do’s and don’ts, but basically they teach you first aid and how to recognise danger signs.

“To be honest, the course is a way for the employer to be able to say that they had equipped the staffer with adequate training.

“But, in reality, even the crash course can never provide you with the tools to survive a war zone.

“Most of it is common sense that one picks up from experience.

“The basic rule is that no story is worth it if there is even the slightest risk.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi pointed out that there were journalists who had received military training and questioned why they were not assigned.

“We have media members who went for Territorial Army training, they should have been part of the media team.”

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this was not the time to blame anybody for BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor’s death.

But in this case, the team was told of the risks right from the start and yet did not heed it.

Somewhere along the route from Kuala Lumpur to Mogadishu, orders were issued for the mission to continue.

An official gave a grim potential scenario saying had no government officers gone along for the trip, more coffins could have been brought home on Sunday.

Surely there must be a stop to missions like this. Advice from professionals must be taken seriously. A proper assessment must be done before any such trip.

A report prepared by the Foreign Ministry recommended that SOP for missions organised by the Govern­ment or non-governmental organisations must be in place.

This is not the first such report to give such a recommendation since Malaysia has been doing humanitarian work in places like Pakistan, New Zealand and Japan.

There is an urgent need to relook and review all humanitarian relief efforts from Malaysia in future.

Those going must know the risks that they are getting into.

I grieve over the death of Noram­faizul as a loss of a comrade.

This is surely an incident that could have been avoided.