As Malaysians prepare to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri with family and friends, Ahmad Sahfezal Ismail is busy packing for deployment to Myanmar.

The firefighter from Terengganu is one of the many Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) personnel set to travel to Myanmar today to assist in relief efforts following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck the country.

The tremors could be felt all the way to Thailand, Vietnam and parts of Southern China on Friday.

While Malaysia was unaffected by the earthquake that claimed more than 1,000 lives so far, the government has pledged to help its Asean neighbours which were devastated by the disaster.

Yesterday, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) despatched a preliminary team of 10 personnel to Yangon, Myanmar, to assess the situation.

Today, a military aircraft will fly to Yangon again, carrying a larger team that includes members of the elite SMART team.

SMART, which comprised personnel from the police, armed forces and the Fire and Rescue Department, had been deployed around the world in many disasters, including the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake and the devastating tsunami that hit Acheh, Indonesia, and parts of south Asia in 2004.

As part of the SMART team on the ground, Sahfezal is under no illusion that the task ahead would be easy. While forgoing the festivities is difficult for him, there was no question on his mind that duty came first.

"It's never easy to be away from my loved ones, especially during Hari Raya, but saving lives is my priority.

"This mission is critical, and I am honoured to be part of the team providing aid to those in need," he told the New Straits Times.