SUDDENLY IT WAS LIKE A GHOST TOWN: Malaysians in Sydney shocked by dramatic siege

PETALING JAYA - Malaysians in Sydney expressed shock over the hostage standoff inside the Lindt cafe in Martin Place yesterday.

A bank consultant who works in Sydney’s central business district (CBD), some 10 minutes’ walk from where the siege took place, said the incident was a shock to Australians.

The father of two migrated to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur 20 years ago.

He said he boarded a bus to work from his house in the suburbs yesterday morning and reached his office shortly after 8am.

“At about 9.30am, all staff in the building were informed to stay inside as we were told there was a hostage situation at a nearby building,” he said.

“I looked out the window and noticed that the CBD, which is usually a busy area, was like a ghost town as all the shops had closed and there was heavy police presence in the area.”

He said while people continued with their work as usual, they were advised by their superiors to leave as soon as they finished at 5pm.

“The streets were deserted and people were rushing to get to the nearest bus-stops after the area was cordoned off,” he said.

Buses did not charge for their services to facilitate those working in the CBD to leave without any hassle.

Another Malaysian — a 30-year-old software engineer working only a few streets from Martin Place — said he was also instructed not to leave the building when news of the hostage crisis broke.

“I didn’t realise how serious the situation was in the beginning and we continued with our work although we felt slightly worried,” he said.

He said they were allowed to leave the building for lunch break but returned shortly after that.

“The streets were quiet and that was when it hit us that a horrible situation was unfolding so close by,” he said.

“I stayed in the office throughout the day and headed home immediately after work.

“When I left, I avoided the area around Martin Place.

“If the situation is not resolved by tomorrow morning, I don’t think I will go to work as there are reports there are explosives planted in the CBD.”

Marketing specialist Steffi Zayn, 24, who has been living in Sydney for six years, was not aware of what was taking place as she took the train to work in the morning as usual.

“The train goes across Sydney Harbour Bridge. I only found out about the hostage situation when my housemate texted me about it at about 11am,” she said.

Her office is only 15 minutes from the CBD and she and her colleagues considered themselves lucky as they were not harmed.

“I asked my colleague to drive me home after work because I did not want to ride the train through Central,” she said.

Radiology administrator Melissa Packariasamy, 40, who works in the suburbs of Sydney, said she was keeping close tabs on the situation.

“We are watching it quite closely on the news. It is definitely nerve-wracking because it is happening in an area I often visit,” said Melissa, who migrated there more than 10 years ago.

She said she usually visited the city after work and was a regular customer of Lindt cafe.

“When I think about it, if it had happened at a different time, it could have been me,” she said. - Malay Mail