Malaysia successfully evacuates 164 citizens from West Asia conflict zones, with a chartered flight bringing them home alongside foreign family members.
JEDDAH: A total of 164 Malaysians stranded in West Asia conflict zones have been successfully evacuated in a government-led mission. They are scheduled to arrive home on Wednesday.
The group also includes five Thai citizens and one Indonesian citizen who are family members of the affected Malaysians. All 170 passengers are on board a specially chartered Malaysia Airlines aircraft.
The flight is expected to land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 11 am on Wednesday. The evacuees were brought home from four countries: Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), Syria, Jordan, and Qatar (Doha).
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National Security Council (NSC) official Fauzan Amin Misnon said the evacuation process went smoothly. He credited close cooperation with the Malaysian diplomatic mission in Jeddah.
“All evacuees came home voluntarily after registering through an online system provided by the Foreign Ministry,” said Fauzan Amin. He is part of the operation to evacuate Malaysians from the conflict zone.
Fauzan Amin said overall passengers are in good spirits, though two require special attention due to health issues. The operation was carried out at the behest of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister directed that all necessary measures be implemented immediately to ensure the safety and welfare of Malaysians in affected areas. The Airbus 330-300 aircraft landed safely at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah at 8.35 pm local time.
It was given a small window for the boarding process. The NSC is coordinating the operation in close cooperation with the Foreign Ministry through diplomatic missions in relevant countries.
The flight also includes a reporter and photographer from Bernama as well as a cameraman from Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). Tensions in West Asia escalated following attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran.
These were followed by retaliatory strikes by Tehran against US interests in Gulf states.
The Sun Malaysia
