KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation has announced today their donations of medical supplies to four South-east Asian countries, including Malaysia.

In a statement, the foundations said their goal is to aid the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in these nations, to follow with more support for other neighbouring countries as well.

 "We join hands with our Asian neighbors to fight Covic-19,” the Jack Ma Foundation said.

"We and Alibaba Foundation will send two million masks, 150,000 test kits, 20,000 protective suits and 20,000 face shields to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. More help to other Asian nations is on the way! Go Asia!”

The Chinese business magnate is the co-founder and former executive chairman of e-commerce and retail company Alibaba Group.

Yesterday, the foundations had released a digital handbook they supported, sharing key lessons and experience from doctors and other medical administrators and staff at a Chinese hospital at the frontline of the outbreak.

Earlier today, boxes of medical equipment aid from China were sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor.

The Chinese embassy here said it managed to raise the supplies comprising 5,000 face masks and 10,000 surgical face shields in the hopes that these would assist Malaysia’s frontline medical personnel working to contain Covid-19 here.

Citing ambassador Bai Tian as saying that a donation of 3,500 Covid-19 laboratory test kits were also en route and expected to reach Malaysia next week, the embassy added that more medical supplies would be donated to Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also took to Facebook to pen a note of thanks to the Chinese government for quickly delivering its first batch of medical aid donation, noting that it has been just three days after he had discussed with Bai Tian about the possibility of Chinese aid to cope with the Covid-19 outbreak.