Malaysian consulate in talks with Indian government to assist stranded Malaysians

The Malaysian consulate in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai is in talks with the Indian government to help Malaysian citizens stranded in India since yesterday.

Consul-general of Malaysia in Chennai, K Saravanan, said he is currently working on the matter to assist those stranded in the country.

"On March 17, the Indian government put up a notice saying that flights from Malaysia, Philippines, and Afghanistan are banned after March 31, so because this is the decision of the Indian government, our Malaysians are stranded in India.

"Most of them came here (on) tourist purposes, pilgrimage, and to cure their ailments. Now the Malaysian government has taken proactive action under Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, so we are discussing with the Indian government to lift the restriction," he told Bernama TV when contacted on Wednesday.

Currently, he said, the Malaysian Consulate-General is more focused on helping Malaysians who have health and accommodation problems.

He hoped Malaysians in India would not panic with the current situation and advised them to follow instructions of the authorities in India.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian, who is stranded in Chennai, R. Vickneswaran, said his family is in a state of emotional distress because they could not return to Malaysia as planned.

He said they also had problems with finances, accommodation and food.

According to Wisma Putra, 274 Malaysians are stranded in the country, 150 at Tiruchirappalli Airport, Chennai (50), Mumbai (1) and New Delhi (73).

-- BERNAMA