NILAI: The Higher Education Ministry has urged Malaysian students currently in Iran to leave the country immediately and report to the Malaysian Embassy in Tehran following the escalating situation there.
Its deputy minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said so far, four Malaysian students have been identified as studying in Qom and Isfahan, and are currently safe. Their families have also been informed of the latest developments.
"In collaboration with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, we are asking all these students to register with the embassy to facilitate evacuation procedures.
"From a safety standpoint, they need to leave Iran as soon as possible, as we do not want any untoward incidents to occur given the increasingly critical conflict,” he told reporters after officiating the 25th anniversary celebration of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) here on Wednesday (June 18).
The Tunku Ampuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud, in her capacity as USIM Chancellor, officiated the ceremony.
On Tuesday (June 17) the Foreign Ministry issued an advisory for all Malaysians in Iran to leave the country immediately due to the increasingly tense security situation following Israel’s aggressive actions against Iran.
In a statement, the ministry said the situation in Iran remains volatile and could deteriorate without prior warning.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated since last Friday following an unprovoked airstrike by Israel on Iranian territory, reportedly killing several senior military officials and scientists.
Meanwhile, USIM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Sharifudin Md Shaarani said to date, the university hosts 14,000 students, including more than 700 international students from over 30 countries, forming a diverse and global academic community.
"In terms of research, USIM has undertaken 2,476 projects since 2000, with total funding exceeding RM102mil from various sources, including university, national, industry and international grants.
"For instance, national-level contributions amounted to RM63 million, while private sector and non-governmental organisations contributed more than RM14mil,” he said, adding that USIM has produced over 37,000 alumni to date.
