By Prashanth Parameswaran
A misleading report generates hype over the country’s role in Yemen.
On May 10, the Saudi Press Agency reported that Malaysia had become the 12th country to join the Saudi-led coalition against Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.
According to the report, Malaysian forces arrived on Sunday at Saudi air bases to join Riyadh’s military coalition. No further details, however, were provided about what kinds of “forces” had arrived and what exactly their role might be.
Malaysia’s defense minister Hishammuddin Hussein subsequently clarified on Twitter that Malaysia was not sending troops to Yemen after all, but only sending personnel and equipment to Riyadh to assist in humanitarian and evacuation operations. There are still Malaysian students in Yemen.
In addition, on May 11, Zulkifeli Bin Mohd Zain, Malaysia’s chief of defense forces, issued a press statement to further shed light on the issue. According to that statement, seen byThe Diplomat, Zulkifeli stated that “the sole mission of our troops in Saudi Arabia is to facilitate the safe and smooth evacuation of the remaining Malaysian citizens in Yemen.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat