Since martial law was declared exactly a week ago in the Indonesian province of Aceh, many have been asking whether Malaysia would be offering any assistance to the people there.

Two Malaysian NGOs contacted today, medical aid agency Mercy Malaysia and mass movement Peace Malaysia, give their take o­n the situation.

'Too thin'

Peace Malaysia co-ordinator Amryn Malik said there were no plans to offer support in Aceh, as the organisation is still focused o­n providing aid to post-war Iraq, particularly since the initial monies allocated for Iraq's reconstruction are still unused.

"The project that we have started (in Iraq) has not even begun. My worry is that we risk spreading ourselves too thin by taking o­n other projects," he said in response to whether the organisation plans to add Aceh to its list.

Amryn said it was up to the Indonesian government to open its doors to outside support, and that any offer of help o­n Peace Malaysia's part must first see an invitation from Jakarta.

"My feeling is that if at all we offer help, our role would be in relieving any refugee crisis that may result from Aceh," he said, adding that the organisation is closely following Wisma Putra's communication with Jakarta.

The NGO, while operating with public funds, comes under the purview of Wisma Putra and requires the Foreign Ministry's approval o­n any project it plans to undertake.

Peace Malaysia, which currently has RM 1.8 million in its coffers, plans to put aside RM1 million to RM1.5 million to support reconstruction projects in Iraq.

A list of possible projects has been drawn up, and the organisation is now holding discussions with the Malaysian chapter of the International Red Cross, for a possible partnership.

Entry into Iraq for reconstruction work is restricted to organisations that carry UN accreditation, and Peace Malaysia has to channel its resources via o­ne of these groups.

While the organisation is unsure as to exactly which project will be accepted, it is hoping to contribute in an area where there is no duplication of work, and where Malaysia has the advantage of experience, such as in sanitation and water treatment. Cholera resulting from the drinking of untreated water is a big problem in Iraq right now.

No decision yet

Mercy, which will be sending a six-person team to Sri Lanka tomorrow for flood relief, also has not decided o­n whether to enter conflict-torn Aceh.

While it does not necessarily need to obtain an SOS from a host country before it decides to enter a problem area, Mercy's decision to send in a team would still depend o­n a number of issues - the scale of the disaster, the available resources, and the allocation of funds, said communications officer Aishah Amin.

With regard to Sri Lanka, she said Mercy's previous experience with flood relief in Cambodia had helped influence the decision to help out in Sri Lanka.

Just prior to the outbreak of the Iraq war in January, Mercy sent a fact-finding mission to develop relationships with the difference bodies and NGOs in the Middle East, such as the International Red Cross and the Syrian embassy.

Mercy recently obtained RM8 million from the government to purchase medical supplies for its adopted hospital - Chwader Hospital - in Baghdad. The first consignment was sent to Amman, Jordan, o­n May 13 and is due to be sent into Baghhdad next week.