COVID-19: Nepal's envoy thanks Malaysian govt for treatment, recovery of its migrant workers

Nepal's Ambassador to Malaysia, Udaya Raj Pandey, has expressed his appreciation to the Malaysian government after all the 82 Nepali migrant workers previously infected with the COVID-19 virus have fully recovered after receiving treatment in Malaysian hospitals.

The ambassador also said there are currently no positive cases of COVID-19 involving its nationals here.

"It was well (the treatment). We are satisfied. Those who were infected have recovered," he told Bernama in an interview.

He said, however, that there are a number of Nepali migrant workers who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and are in the process of being sent back home.

"There are 10,000 workers who have come forward and requested to be sent back. Around 3,000 (have) already left Malaysia," he said, adding that he hoped the immigration department could expedite the release of the documentation that will allow them to leave the country.

Pandey said the embassy is in close and frequent contact with the Malaysian authorities on the matter.

"If they can get the clearance quickly, we can get them on chartered flights. We have already arranged (the) flights in the coming days," he said.

Asked if the embassy had received any complaints or reports of ill-treatment of its citizens here, Pandey said there were none.

"They are all treated in a good way," he said of the fate of around 425,000 Nepali migrant workers who are mainly working in the manufacturing and security sectors in Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA