KUALA LUMPUR: Brunei Darussalam is contributing ventilators and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test kits worth RM1.7 million to Malaysia.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said he had a telephone conversation with Brunei's Second Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Setia Awang Erywan Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Mohd Yusof on Wednesday to express his sincere gratitude to the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and the Government of Brunei for the contribution.
He said the ventilators and test kits would be placed at government hospitals in Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak beginning July 2021.
"Malaysia highly appreciates Brunei's continuous support in the country in curbing the pandemic. With this contribution, the existing special relations between the two countries will be further strengthened for the benefit of our people," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hishammuddin pointed out that both ministers also reiterated their commitment for Malaysia and Brunei to collaborate, continuously engage and assist each other especially amid the pandemic.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, he said Brunei had been one of the first countries to collaborate with Malaysia in mitigating the adverse impacts of Covid-19.
Hishammuddin said Brunei's contribution reflected the close and special relations that have established in the 37 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"This also shows the high commitment of both countries as Asean member states in addressing the Covid-19 crisis," he said. – BERNAMA