KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — The government of Malaysia has taken timely and decisive actions to combat Covid-19, said Kazakhstan Ambassador to Malaysia Bolat Imanbayev.
In this context, the Ambassador said that it is important not only to fully support these actions by the Malaysian society but also by each responsible individual, regardless of nationality, in order to stand together in the face of the global danger posed by Covid-19.
He said Kazakhstan – following the example of many countries, including Malaysia – at the first sign of the active spread of the virus, has also introduced restrictive measures.
“The importance of such measures should be emphasised, as, unfortunately, there is currently no other most effective way to combat the disease. Therefore, we fully support the efforts of the Government of Malaysia in this direction and believe that all countries should show the same responsible attitude in the global fight against the pandemic,” Imanbayev said in an email interview with Bernama.
“We fully support the efforts and valuable contribution of the Malaysian government in the global fight against the pandemic, and we call on everyone who is currently staying here to express their solidarity with the government and people of Malaysia, by means of strictly following the rules and understanding that such measures are necessary and inevitable,” the Ambassador further said.
He said Kazakhstan and Malaysia have always enjoyed – and continue to have – strong friendly relations, and the population of the two countries is multi-ethnic, and people living in both Kazakhstan and Malaysia are similar in their openness, hospitality, tolerance and inter-ethnic harmony.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my immense gratitude to all Malaysian medical professionals, law enforcement officers and those who work tirelessly, risking their lives for our well-being, in the most complex situation that all mankind is facing,” Imanbayev said.
On the compliance of Kazakhstani citizens to the movement control order (MCO) and other related measures, the Ambassador said he would like to point out that the citizens of Kazakhstan currently staying in Malaysia showed the necessary responsibility in matters of compliance with the MCO.
Imanbayev said that the Government of Malaysia, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the immigration authorities, law enforcement agencies and other relevant government organisations have always provided – and continue to provide – full support to citizens of Kazakhstan, both to those who have already left Malaysia during the MCO and to those who have remained in the country.
“We are confident that such cooperation will only strengthen during one of the most difficult periods in the modern history of humanity, and we can defeat the pandemic by common efforts,” he said.
He explained that despite a certain number of Kazakhstan citizens having left Malaysia, today there are about 400 of its citizens who have decided to stay here during the MCO – the majority of whom are students, besides those who work here or having business interests, adding that there are not many tourists among them.
Imanbayev said that citizens of Kazakhstan who wished to return home have already returned using special direct flights from Kuala Lumpur to Almaty, operated by Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana, at the end of March. Currently, flights between the two countries are suspended.
“The Embassy by all possible means, including through the social networks, provide our citizens with necessary, up-to-date information, given that the situation in the world, especially related to the possibilities of departure, transit zones and arrival points, is changing rapidly due to the imposed restrictions on flights in many countries,” he said.
Besides that, the Ambassador said that the embassy also provides its citizens with the latest information on the issues related to their stay in Malaysia, especially for those who had to remain in the country for different reasons and are likely to be forced to stay here.
“In this regard, I would like to emphasise the importance and effectiveness of the information, which is being provided for foreign missions by Malaysian Foreign Ministry and the timely response of Malaysian immigration authorities to the requests of the embassies,” he said.
He said the Embassy has established direct and constant communication with its citizens and also monitors the situation while urging all its citizens to contact them on emerging issues. The Embassy has a hotline: +60174332885, of which citizens of Kazakhstan can contact at any time.
— Bernama
