MALAYSIANS GRATEFUL FOR EVACUATION MISSION, THANK PM FOR PROMPT ACTION

From Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil

DHAKA, July 23 (Bernama) -- While it has been terrifying days for some Malaysians here due to protests and unrest in the city since July 1, the decision to temporarily stop internet service by the Bangladeshi government has made the matter worse for them.

Muhammad Farhan Gulzar, 22, said with the internet gone, the public are kept in the dark about what was going on, the time of information on the protest and their safety were most needed.

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“Panic. Although the protest mainly occurred in Dhaka, three hours from me, there were also smaller-scale protests here.

“That was why, without the internet, we, the students, can only rely on information passed verbally. Also, we can’t check on our families and friends; we can only SMS and do normal phone calls, which also have weak signals,” the Mymensingh Medical College medical student told Bernama when met here.

He was among 123 Malaysians, including 80 students, brought back home via a special chartered AirAsia flight as instructed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.

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The A320 aircraft departed from the  Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11.05 am local time and would take three hours and 55 minutes to reach Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2(KLIA2).

Muhammad Farhan’s ‘allegations’ were not far from true, as a similar “back to basic” thing was experienced by Bernama, who joined the evacuation mission led by the Foreign Ministry’s South and Central Asia Division undersecretary Datuk Dr Shazelina Zainul Abidin.

The roaming package subscribed to Malaysian telcos before arriving in Dhaka was a waste since the connection with local telcos here did not even give one byte of internet access.

Also, the presence of army and police personnel was apparent at the airports since the Bangladeshi government imposed a nationwide curfew.

Muhammad Farhan, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the Malaysian government and the prime minister for taking prompt action to bring fellow Malaysians back home safely.

Expressing the same feeling, his senior, Sarvin Tharmalingam, 27, said the evacuation mission by the government was the biggest reason most of the students decided to return home.

“Parents were worried and wanted us to come back earlier, but still, because of the lack of internet and weak phone signals, it's hard to make contact and check whether the situation is safe outside.

“We heard there were people killed and injured, but we are not sure whether it's true. So that’s why when the Malaysia High Commission officers came to our college yesterday, we felt that this was the time. We felt safe, thank you to the government and the prime minister,” the final-year student said.

For Siti Nurathirah Afrina Azree, 25, it was a mixed feeling for her to return since it was her final year and she was busy with examinations.

“But upon hearing from locals that the protest may continue and curfew imposed, we were worried, more concerned because there is no internet connection and parents are panicking at home. We therefore felt the need to return home,” she said.

She said it got worse when a curfew order was put in place by the Bangladeshi government, not allowing them to go out from their hostel after 2 pm most of the time.

“Therefore, this evacuation mission was a blessing for us. Of course, happy because our parents are worried. The ‘welcome home’ announcement by the pilot upon descending to KLIA2 hit us harder than before,” she said.

-- BERNAMA