Saudi-based healthcare workers to remain, citing duty and trust in security
PETALING JAYA: For Malaysian nurses in Saudi Arabia, duty often comes first.
Many of them, when contacted, said they are staying put in the Middle East country for now.
“It is not easy to just leave like that, given that I am working here. The sense of duty is making me want to stay on,” said a Malaysian nurse based in Riyadh, who only wanted to be known as Devi.
She admitted that it had crossed her mind to sign up with the Malaysian embassy in Riyadh for the evacuation exercise.
“But then I thought of holding it off for now,” said Devi, 37, who has been working at a specialists’ centre in the kingdom for the past seven years.
She also acknowledged that there had been heightened alert after the strikes were intercepted.
Saudi Defence Ministry said yesterday that at least 15 drones had been intercepted and destroyed in the kingdom’s airspace.
Reports have also emerged that drones had tried to attack the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh.
Prior to the conflict, there were an estimated 1,782 Malaysian nurses in Saudi Arabia.
Another nurse, who declined to be named, said the situation at her place remains much under control. She is working at an armed forces hospital in Tabuk city near the Jordan-Saudi Arabia border.
“My place is not affected. Saudi is still safe,” said the 34-year-old nurse who has been working there for the past five years.
As for 30-year-old Ain, who is based in Jeddah, she said she is taking a “wait-and-see” approach for now.
“I am confident that the Saudi government will do its best to protect us,” she added.
Malaysian authorities are putting plans in place to evacuate Malaysians from Saudi Arabia.
The Consulate General of Malaysia in Jeddah announced that the registration for evacuation of Malaysians in the Western province ended at 7am Saudi time yesterday.
The Malaysian embassy in Riyadh, meanwhile, has advised citizens working in Saudi Arabia to seek the green light from their employers before taking part in the evacuation.
“Malaysians working in Saudi Arabia and holding an ‘Iqamah’ (Resident ID) are advised to review the terms of their employment contract and obtain their employer’s permission before deciding to participate in this evacuation,” said a notice from the consulate.
The evacuation entails a one-way journey from Riyadh to Kuala Lumpur.
The embassy made clear that the welfare and safety of Malaysians were a priority.
“In this regard, the government has also decided to facilitate the return of Malaysians from Saudi Arabia on a voluntary basis,” it said.
The process will be carried out in stages. Priority is for Malaysians who are directly affected by security threats.
Those participating have been asked to ensure their passports are valid and their documentation, including exit/re-entry visas, are complete.
In the meantime, the consulate called for calm and to be attentive to any communications issued by them and the local authorities.
