Quick response by MAS a relieve to stranded mother-daughter

After being stranded at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a day, Izan Suhaila Mohd Ali and her baby, Maryam Sofea managed arrived safely at Malaysia, thanks to Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

Izan Suhaila and her baby were denied boarding on an AirAsia flight due to suspected symptoms of a contagious disease and were reportedly left stranded at the airport without any help from the its staff.

However, MAS made a quick decision to step in to help the victims to return to their home.

According to MAS in a media statement, the carrier heard about the mother and daughter's unfortunate situation from the Tourism Malaysia.

“As it is a standard procedure for all passengers with symptoms of contagious disease to get a fit-to-fly certification from a doctor, Malaysia Airlines made the decision to take Maryam to a doctor,” MAS in the statement on Monday.

The move is to ensure that no other passengers will be put at risk.

“As such, Malaysia Airlines staff picked up Izan Suhaila and her baby from the hotel they were staying in to be brought to the clinic. The doctor examined the baby and confirmed that she was no longer contagious,” he said.

The baby was out of the incubation period and the black spots were actually just dry scabs.

MAS then started working on preparing the travel documents for Izan Suhaila, Maryam and two other of their relatives.

“They were booked onto flight MH759 that departed Ho Chi Minh yesterday so that they would not have to spend another night in Ho Chi Minh City and incur more costs.

"It was MAS staff from Saigon who drove the family back to the airport from their hotel.

"As they reached the airport at 3.50pm, the Airport Services team had all the necessary documentation ready to ensure a fast check-in.

“A ground staff was assigned to escort the family through Immigration & Customs. This was important as there was a query on the immigration stamp in their passports due to the previous day’s incident,” he said.

Izan Suhaila, Maryam and other of her relatives managed to board MAS flight MH759 and departed Ho Chi Minh City for home at 4.40pm.

Meanwhile, MAS Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said that he glad that MAS team in Ho Chi Minh City displayed "100 per cent of Malaysian hospitality" to the affected family during the situation.

"The ability of the team to act beyond their normal duties is to be highly applauded. It is also commendable that they did not break any rules of the standard procedures that we follow but yet managed to go out of their way in displaying a true spirit of compassion and empathym" said Ahmad Jauhari.