KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — A total of 138 Malaysians stranded in India were brought home safely while 405 Indians were flown back to their country on Wednesday in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, said Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar.
He said the Malaysian and Indian governments had worked together to facilitate the return of their citizens.
He said 111 Malaysians returned on an Air Asia flight while 27 took another commercial flight, both from New Delhi.
“The flights from Malaysia to India involved 405 Indian nationals, on two Air Asia aircraft from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the Indira Ghandi International Airport, New Delhi and Visakhapatnam International Airport, Vizag,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Kamarudin, who is also Foreign Ministry Covid-19 Task Force chairman, said 1,075 Malaysians were still stranded in India as of 3pm yesterday.
Of this number, 450 were in Chennai, 430 in Trichy, 97 in New Delhi, 63 in Bangalore, 24 in Mumbai, and 11 in Cochin.
“The Malaysian government is very concerned and is closely monitoring the developments through Malaysian missions in India to ensure all those stranded can return to Malaysia fast.
“Such efforts are being actively taken now. The ministry is working with the relevant agencies and airlines to coordinate the return of Malaysians still stranded in India,” he said.
He said there were plans to send charter flights to Chennai and Trichy to bring back Malaysians who have already bought Air Asia tickets to return to Malaysia.
He said Malaysians stranded in India can contact the nearest Malaysian missions for consular assistance — Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi, and Malaysian Consulates General in Chennai and Mumbai.
— Bernama
