GOVERNMENT IN FINAL PREPARATIONS TO EVACUATE MALAYSIANS FROM MIDDLE EAST -- NSC

PUTRAJAYA, March 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government is in the final phase of preparations to carry out the evacuation of Malaysians from several countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East following increasingly deteriorating security developments in the region.

The National Security Council (NSC) said in a statement on Monday that the evacuation operation was ordered by Prime Mnister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,  who has directed that all necessary measures be mobilised immediately to ensure the safety and welfare of Malaysians in the affected areas.

It said the operation would be coordinated in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Malaysia’s diplomatic missions in the countries concerned.

“The Malaysian government will do everything within its capacity to ensure that the Malaysians involved can return home safely,” the statement said.

It added that the NSC, together with the Foreign Ministry, would provide regular updates on the operation to all parties until the entire process of bringing Malaysians home is completed.

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since Feb 28 following attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran, which were followed by retaliatory strikes by Tehran against US interests in Gulf countries.

According to records from the Foreign Ministry, as of March 8, a total of 641 Malaysians remain stranded in several affected countries in the region, while 24,568 Malaysians had registered through the e-Konsular system as of March 7.

-- BERNAMA