Malcon West 2 Gets Battalion Status

KUANTAN, July 7 (Bernama) -- Malcon West 2 which will be sent to Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Forces In Lebanon (Unifil) has been accorded battalion status.

Army Joint Force Commander Lt Gen Datuk Allatif Mohamed Noor said the contingent's status has been upgraded to battalion since its members have grown to 440.

"We have been accorded battalion status where Malcon West 2 will be called battalion group. The additional 210 members means that we will serve as a battalion," he said after presenting the Malaysian flag and UN berets to Malcon West 2 at Kor Amor Diraja, Kem Batu 10 here Tuesday.

The additional 210 members which include 60 from Malcon East 4 was on the invitation of UN. The soldiers would be in Lebanon for nine months.

Allatif said the first group of 150 soldiers would leave on July 16 followed by the second group (80) on July 20 and the rest on July 29.

Malcon West 2 which will be stationed to the west of the Lebanon-Israel border at At Tiri will replace Malcon West 1 and Malcon East 4 stationed at Koukaba.

He said the two contingents in Lebanon had performed with excellence and was confident that Malcon West 2 would continue the good work.