KOTA BARU: The Malaysian 8th Infantry Brigade (8 Briged) carried out Operasi Murni to evacuate 300 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates stranded by floods in Rantau Panjang today.
The students, from several schools including Maahad Muhammadi Rantau Panjang and SMK Rantau Panjang, were relocated to three boarding schools in Pasir Mas.
The operation, which began at 7am, took five hours as it involved navigating two flood-affected areas.
In a statement, the Malaysian 2nd Infantry Division Headquarters (2 Divisyen) said the operation utilised 11 trucks and 12 combat boats.
"This special operation was coordinated through discussions between the 8th Brigade commander, the Kelantan State Education Department director, and assistance from the Kelantan Disaster Operations Control Centre (PKOB).
"A total of 21 officers and 157 personnel from units including 21 RAMD, 5 RRD, 72 KPD Battalion, 74 KPD Battalion, and both 6th and 8th KPD Transport Companies participated in the operation.
"The 8th Brigade also deployed liaison officers to the state PKOB and PKOB units in each district," it said.
It said residents in need of evacuation assistance are encouraged to contact their nearest PKOB for coordination.
"The Malaysian Armed Forces remain committed to assisting residents in the East Coast affected by the flood disaster," said the statement.
The operation was successfully completed without any untoward incidents involving the students.