PUTRAJAYA: Thirty Malaysians who have been rescued from Sudan will be arriving on Saudi Arabian Airlines tomorrow 28th April, 3.55pm at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Zambry Abd. Kadir said the Malaysians among the 194 rescued who were on board the ship H.M.S Abha from Port Sudan had been received by the Malaysian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, Komander King Faisal Naval Base, and representatives of various embassies.
“After the immigration process, the people had been transferred to the Holiday Inn Hotel Jeddah sponsored by the Saudi Arabia government for two nights.
“The efforts to bring back the Malaysians from Sudan started from the ceasefire of the parties involved from first Syawal was the result of the cooperation of various government agencies under the Special Team Ops Sudan led by the Foreign Ministry including MKN, NADMA, Prime Minister’s Department, Royal Police Malaysia, Malaysian Representative Office in Riyadh, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, and Cairo,” Zambry said in a statement.
The minister added the support from government-linked companies (GLC) specifically PETRONAS, Maybank, CIMB and others had made the operation possible.
Zambry had expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Saudi Arabia government and UAE government and Sudan leadership in the effort to rescue the Malaysians and several other foreign nationals in Sudan.
“My special thanks to Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong who has continuously expressed his concern on the safety of the Malaysians in Sudan. His Majesty had contacted UAE President to seek his help in the operation to bring out the Malaysians from Sudan,” said.
Zambry added the success of the complex operation was also with the help of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who had contacted personally the leadership of Sudan to obtain the safety route for Malaysians in the journey with the distance of 1,233 km. from Khartoum to Port Sudan.
“Together with the Malaysians on the Arab Saudi naval ship were 22 foreign nationals that have been brought out by the Malaysian Embassy in Khartoum,” the minister said. – Malaysia World News.