PUTRAJAYA: No Malaysians in Japan were affected by the earthquake in the Niigata prefecture or the aircraft mishap at the Haneda airport, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said he is in close contact with the Japanese Embassy here and his counterpart in Japan to get the latest updates on the two incidents.
“There were no Malaysians on board the plane that caught fire at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and (although) there are Malaysians, including students, residing in the areas affected by the earthquake, they were not affected and are all safe,” he added.
He told reporters this after the handing over of the Malaysian Traditional Costumes under the Cultural Diplomacy Initiative to Strengthen National Arts, Culture, and Heritage Activities which was also attended by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing here, Bernama reported.
Sartorial diplomacy: Meanwhile, at the same event, Tiong (right) is aiming to harness Malaysian ambassadors’ role in promoting local culture globally, including through traditional costumes. — Bernama
Mohamad said Malaysia is prepared to offer its assistance if needed by Japan.
At about 6pm local time on Tuesday, Japan Airlines flight JAL 516 from Hokkaido collided with a Coast Guard aircraft, MA-722, while landing at the Haneda Airport, causing both aircraft to catch fire.
Five of the six crew on board the Coast Guard aircraft were killed, while the captain sustained serious injuries.
The coast guard airplane was transporting relief goods to the earthquake-hit areas in Niigata Prefecture after a series of tremors of up to 7.6 on the Richter scale struck central Japan on Monday evening.
The earthquake triggered a tsunami wave of more than a metre, causing the collapse of buildings, major fires in ports, and damaging roads.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the death toll from the earthquake rose to 78 as of yesterday morning.
At the event, Tiong handed over 20 sets of traditional costumes of various ethnicities in the country for distribution to 20 strategic Malaysian representative offices abroad.
This is the second handing over, with the first held on Jan 27, 2022.
Tiong said the move is part of his ministry’s efforts to spur on Malaysian ambassadors abroad to promote local culture.
“This cross-cultural venture is a collaboration between ministries and government departments, towards the development and sustainability of art, culture, and heritage,” he said.
