Covid-19: Deputy Foreign Minister to head task force to assist Malaysians abroad

PETALING JAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has ordered his deputy Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar to head a task force to assists Malaysians abroad in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In urging calm among Malaysians, Hishammuddin said the task force will identify serious approaches to assist Malaysians throughout the Covid-19 crisis.

“To Malaysians abroad, make sure you are registered with the Malaysian representatives in your respective countries to facilitate consular assistance if there is a need, ” he said in a Facebook post on Friday (March 13).

Hishammuddin, in acknowledging concerns by Malaysians over the Covid-19 pandemic, assured that the Foreign Ministry is in close contact with the Italian government.

“This includes deliberating about logistics, as well as sharing methods we used previously to bring back Malaysians from China, ” he added.

It was reported that after Italy imposed a lockdown on the northern part of the country, the Malaysian Embassy in Rome sent care packages to Malaysians, who live in the red zone area.

The care package consists of hand sanitisers, wipes, disinfectant, masks, Maggi, durian dodol, serunding, Brahims rendang, among others.

On Wednesday (March 11), Italy announced that all stores except pharmacies and food outlets will be closed in the country with a population of 60 million as the Covid-19 cases had spiked to 12,462 from just three in less than three weeks.