KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen members of the Dewan Rakyat led by its Deputy Speaker Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee will depart for Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh early Friday morning to have a closer look at the condition of Rohingya refugees there.
The Members of Parliament, together with delegates from the National Security Council (NSC), National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), Transport Ministry and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are expected to spend two nights in the coastal town not far from Chittagong.
Among them are Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi (BN-Sri Gading), Datuk Ago Anak Dagang (BN-Kanowit), Datuk Raimi Unggi (BN-Tenom), Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Pas-Rantau Panjang) and Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (PKR-Tumpat).
There, the MPs would be visiting the Kutupalong camp where more than 500,000 Rohingya fleeing persecution in their hometown in Rakhine State, Myanmar are taking refuge.
The camp ground provided by Bangladeshi government is deemed as the largest refugee settlement in the world, expected to be able to house up to 800,000 people.
Comprising seven MPs from Barisan Nasional and four from the opposition (Pas and PKR), the elected representatives are also scheduled to present some donations during the visit.
It is learnt that the group would make a visit to Malaysia's field hospital which will be up and running this Dec 1.
The field hospital, slated to be only about 10 minutes away from the camp, would be served by at least 60 government medical personnel.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had earlier this month said that the hospital could accommodate 100 beds and are of the same standard as local district hospitals that have specialists.
The hospital would have an operating theatre, two beds reserved for intensive care, X-ray facility, as well as research amenities.
Najib was quoted as saying that the hospital was "a joint effort and a manifestation of the Malaysian government and its people's commitment to the welfare of Rohingya refugees."
According to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office, the hospital is expected to have 139 employees, including specialists who will work on monthly shifts.