SEPANG: Malaysians stranded in parts of the Middle East due to armed conflicts heaved a sigh of relief after they arrived safely at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Wednesday (March 11).
The special evacuation flight by Malaysian Airlines brought home 163 Malaysians and seven of their foreign spouses or family members comprising five Thai nationals, an Indonesian and a Moroccan in the flight that landed at about 12.45pm.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman who was present at the KLIA said that the passengers who arrived from Jeddah were those affected by flight disruptions and airspace closures that affected several countries in the region.
He said the passengers made up of children, students and elderly travellers aged between four and 88 years old.
“The passengers comprise Malaysian umrah pilgrims affected by disrupted flights, Malaysians stranded in Qatar, Malaysian students from Jordan and Syria affected by flight cancellations as well as a small number of Malaysians residing in Saudi Arabia,” the ministry said.
It said the evacuation operation was coordinated by the National Security Council with the support of the Foreign Ministry and Malaysian diplomatic missions in the region.
The ministry said initially more than 400 Malaysians had signed up to join the evacuation effort.
However, the ministry said some of them were able to return home earlier when commercial flight operations gradually resumed.
"The Consulate-General of Malaysia in Jeddah coordinated preparations on the ground, including the registration of passengers at the Hajj Terminal of King Abdul Aziz International Airport and worked closely with Malaysia Airlines to ensure the check-in process went smoothly. Consular officers were also deployed to Madinah to help arrange the six-hour overland journey for pilgrims travelling to Jeddah.
The Malaysian embassy in Doha coordinated the overland transfer of Malaysians from Qatar into Saudi Arabia as Qatar’s airspace remained closed to most civilian flights. The embassy also helped facilitate entry visas to allow the group to cross the border and continue their journey to Jeddah. The Malaysian Embassy in Amman also assisted in coordinating the movement of Malaysian students from Jordan and Syria so they could join the evacuation flight," it said.
The ministry said arrangements were also made at the Jeddah airport for passengers to break their fast before departure as the flight took place at night during the Ramadan period.
Other Malaysian missions in the region, including those in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Ankara and Ashgabat also assisted in supporting the operation and helping Malaysians affected by the travel disruptions.
The ministry also expressed appreciation to Malaysia Airlines for its cooperation in making the evacuation flight possible.
It added that the government will continue monitoring developments in West Asia while working with the National Security Council to safeguard the welfare and safety of Malaysians abroad.
