PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia, as Asean chair, will seek an extension of the ceasefire announced by Myanmar's military junta to allow humanitarian efforts in the earthquake-ravaged nation, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said he would make this appeal when he meets the junta's senior general Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok on Friday (April 18).
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"The temporary ceasefire will end on April 22 and I will ask for it to be extended," he said at the Finance Ministry's monthly morning assembly here on Monday (April 14).
Anwar said the meeting will be on the sidelines of his visit to Bangkok to meet his Thai counterpart Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was appointed as adviser on Asean Affairs.
"I will leave for Bangkok shortly after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"I will meet the Thai Prime Minister to discuss matters related to Sungai Golok about dredging and flood mitigation works in southern Thailand," he said.
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On April 2, Myanmar's ruling military declared a temporary ceasefire in the country's civil war to allow relief efforts following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake which killed thousands.
Malaysia has since sent its SMART rescue team to Myanmar and also set up a temporary military field hospital there.
Although there are no diplomatic ties between Asean and the junta, Anwar said this meeting is being held on humanitarian grounds.
On a separate matter, he said a multi-billion-dollar Asean Energy Grid project is being planned in line with the region's renewable energy policies.
"Initial agreements have been inked between Vietnam and Malaysia so that energy from Vietnam can be channelled to Malaysia via Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.
"But the cost has somewhat doubled.
"So for the initial stage, PETRONAS Malaysia and Petrovietnam will rely on an undersea cable from Vietnam to Kota Baru," he said.
He added that the plan is to channel energy via a grid system to Singapore, and there are also negotiations for energy supply to Batam, Indonesia.
Anwar said the plan includes an undersea cable running from Sarawak to Tanjung Sedili in Johor before connecting with Singapore.
He added that there are also plans for the undersea cable run from Sarawak to Sabah and the southern Philippines.
Anwar said Asean has to work collectively to realise the massive project, which includes attracting foreign investment.
