KL expresses grief, Australia, Japan offer assistance

Amid the flag-burnings and deriding of anything Malaysian in Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur officially offered its condolences Thursday to the victims of a powerful earthquake that rattled Java on Wednesday.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry, also known as Wisma Putra, said in a statement released Thursday that Kuala Lumpur “learns with grief and deep sorrow the loss of lives and destruction” caused by Wednesday’s quake.

“So far, there has been no report of injuries or fatalities among Malaysians in the affected areas.  The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta will continue to monitor the situation closely,” the statement said.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, which has frequently been stormed by Indonesian protesters over allegations of cultural theft in recent weeks, has set up a hotline for Malaysians concerned about loved ones feared affected by the quake. It can be reached at: 62-21 5224947 or 62 21-5224971.

Meanwhile, Australia has offered to help the Indonesian government mitigate the disaster, which has claimed a confirmed 50 lives so far.

"We've said to the Indonesian authorities we will work with them in terms of any assistance that we can provide," Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said, as quoted by Reuters.

Japan’s recently elected Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, whose Democratic Party was victorious in last weekend’s election, said his government would provide help "regardless of any request".

"We need to make sure there are no delays in providing aid that we would normally be able to provide because of a policy vacuum," he said.