SEPANG: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said the operation to evacuate Malaysians from Egypt is of national interest and has no political element.
The government, he said, would do all it could to bring home the Malaysians from the strife-torn country.
“We make decision in whatever situation and we are carrying out the mission to secure the safety of all Malaysians residing or studying there.
“This is a mission of national importance. No political consideration whatsoever, as long as they are Malaysians, we will secure their safety,” the prime minister said as he greeted 778 Malaysians, including students, at the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport (KLIA), here today.
They are the first group of Malaysians to arrive home in the massive evacuation operation, dubbed “Ops Piramid”, which was launched on Wednesday.
The Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia flights landed about 10am.
Also greeting them on arrival were the prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, several Cabinet ministers and the students’ family members.
‘Total breakdown of law and order’
Saying that the mission was a massive undertaking, Najib said the government had to carry out detailed preparations, including having the Malaysians evacuated to Jeddah prior to being brought home.
He added that the mission involved various agencies because the ultimate objective was to ensure the Malaysians were safe.
The prime minister said the government was concerned over the safety of Malaysians, saying there was a total breakdown of law and order in Egypt at the moment.
“Anything can happen in a total breakdown of law and order. We are worried that our children might get hurt or be exposed to life-threatening situations,” he said.
The prime minister said the return of the first group of Malaysians was a relief for the Malaysian people in general.
It was for this reason, he said, that he postponed an important meeting which he was to chair this morning, to meet the Malaysians at the airport.
Najib said he and his wife had not taken any leave during the past few days despite the public holiday because they had to monitor the evacuation process.
“Sometimes we receive calls at 3am (regarding the evacuation process). So far, the process is going on smoothly. I pray that the others will also arrive safely,” he said.
He also thanked all those involved in the operation, including Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Tabung Haji, the armed forces and the National Security Council.
Najib also expressed his gratitude to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Turki Abdullah al-Saud, for bearing the cost of two Boeing 747 flights to bring home the Malaysians from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur, describing it as an extraordinary gesture towards Malaysia.
Najib said the government was also prepared to discuss with the universities in Egypt so that the affected students would be able to sit for their examinations in Malaysia.
-Bernama
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