127 Malaysians stranded in Myanmar to be flown home soon, says Foreign Minister

SEPANG: The 127 Malaysians recently stranded amidst the unrest in Laukkaing, northern Myanmar, are now in a safe location says Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.

"They will be flown home soon," the Foreign Minister told the media at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Monday (Nov 27).

Zambry said all the 127 Malaysians involved are scheduled to be brought home on Thursday (Nov 30).

He said Wisma Putra was coordinating the logistics to bring them home and awaiting instructions from the Myanmar authorities.

Zambry added that efforts to relocate the Malaysians from the conflict-hit area also required the cooperation of the Chinese authorities, and he thanked Myanmar and China for their cooperation.

It was earlier reported that Wisma Putra had said 109 Malaysian citizens were stranded in Laukkaing following the unrest in the region, most of them believed to be victims of overseas job offer scams.

Zambry said Wisma Putra had also helped relocate an Indonesian and a Hong Kong citizen from the area.

On a separate matter, Zambry said he will voice Malaysia's commitment to defend Palestinian rights at the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) plenary session on Tuesday (Nov 26) and the UN Security Council on Nov 29 in New York, United States.

"I will convey the message that the war in Gaza must end and for the inhumane killings to cease immediately," he said.

A four-day truce was declared in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza starting Nov 24, followed by an exchange of hostages and prisoners.

The fighting in Palestine involving Hamas, the authority in Gaza, and the Israeli regime since Oct 7 has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. – Bernama