Malaysians thank Najib, government for safe arrival from Egypt

409 Malaysians who arrived safely home from war torn Egypt today expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the government for prioritising their safety. Cairo University second year medical student Muhammad Amirul Afiq, 20, said although the area where he stayed was still considered safe, he did not want to face the risks. "The government is worried for our safety there and must surely know whether the conflict is intensifying, so it's better for us to heed the advice to return to Malaysia," he said. Nas Hazim Zainal, 25, who had completed his studies (Takhassus Qiraat) at Al-Azhar University was alarmed and anxious at seeing thick smoke enveloping the horizon and had prayed to be able to return to Malaysia. "Thank God we are safely back. We are really grateful to the prime minister for his concerns about our safety and welfare in Egypt," he said. Arabic Studies student Umairah Nor Azam, 23, said Malaysian students were advised not to go out of their residence. "We were cautioned not to go out of the compound at all as we would face many risks. So we just sat in the house waiting for instructions from Wisma Putra officials there," she recalled. First year Islamic Studies student Zullaeekha Muhd Fauzi, 22, was confident that she would be able to return to Egypt when the civil war ends. "I hope the situation will return to normal so that Malaysian students can continue their studies. In the meantime we follow what the government advised," she said. Meanwhile, parents who were at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to welcome back their children and family members also expressed their gratitude to the Malaysian government. "I was worried for the safety of my son and daughter in law while they were there. I watched on television and read the news daily about people being killed. It was frightening. "Thank God they have returned safely. I thank Najib (prime minister) and all the officers for their efforts to ensure that our children return home safely," said Idris Menhad, 53, as he wiped off his tears. His son, Mohd Azrul Azuan, 25, and daughter in-law Nor Fareeza Azhar, 23, did not plan to return to Malaysia as the area where they were staying was not within the conflict zone. "Our area is still peaceful, so we chose not to return but we could see that the situation was worsening and since there was an advice to return, here we are," he said. The 409 Malaysians who arrived at KLIA this morning in three separate flights were received by Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, Education deputy minister II, P. Kamalanathan, Foreign Affairs deputy minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin and Education secretary general II, Datuk Seri Dr Zaini Ujang.