Malaysia’s SMART rescue team prepares for United Nations reclassification, aims to retain status

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 25 - The Malaysian Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART) is committed to maintaining its Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (Heavy USAR) classification under the United Nations (UN) for the 69th National Day celebrations. Team Commander PgKB I Abdul Manaf Che Isa revealed that the elite team will undergo an INSARAG External Reclassification (IER) assessment from Sept 20 to 24 to keep the classification, originally obtained in 2016.

After receiving confirmation from the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, the team will commence final technical preparations on Sept 20. Abdul Manaf expressed confidence in the team's readiness, citing the success of three large-scale pre-IER exercises, with a simulation held last year and two this year. He emphasized that the mentor from Australia was satisfied with their performance, and the team's participation in the 2026 National Day celebrations, slated for Aug 31 at Dataran Putrajaya, would showcase their readiness to the public.

The team's expertise is crucial in serving as a reference for Asian countries in search and rescue operations and disaster management.