SEPANG – Malaysian students who returned home today will always remember the violence they witnessed on their way to the high commission building in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mymensingh Medical College student Syazanna Amira told Scoop that she saw military personnel with guns patrolling outside her rented house each time she opened the door.
“My landlord told me and my friends to return to our country as soon as we can, because no one can anticipate when this situation will subside. When we left, it was no longer the police guarding the streets, but the military with guns at every corner.
“On the way to the high commission building as well as to the airport, I saw buses on fire and the army would shoot anyone they saw, even animals.”
Syazanna said her local friends would keep the foreign students updated, especially on which hotspots to avoid.
“However, the situation grew worrying when the Bangladesh government restricted internet connection. It was difficult for us to keep in touch with the diplomatic officers, especially since my friend and I were helping others make arrangements to leave.
“I learned that electricity at my friends’ houses was cut off because they ran out of ‘electric credit’ and they could only top-up online. How can you do that when there’s no internet? Everything requires an internet connection there, including withdrawing money.”
She added that she was relieved when Wisma Putra sent a chartered flight to bring Malaysians home.
“There is truly no other place like home. Malaysia is truly the safest place to be.”
Meanwhile, a 53-year-old mother drove to KLIA2 from Johor Bahru this morning, to greet her daughter, who was on the chartered flight.
Nor Hamni Mahmood Sabri wiped away tears at the sight of the AirAsia plane landing.
“I am at a loss for words because it has been about five to six days since I last spoke to her. My daughter would usually call me once or twice daily so everything went wrong when I couldn’t talk to her. I couldn’t sleep or eat.
“I am glad that the other parents, who were in the same boat as me, were working together in requesting for Wisma Putra to bring our kids home.
“Despite being kept updated, I was worried since all the updates did not come from my daughter, but from everyone else.
“However, I have to thank the government, especially the foreign minister, who was quick to bring Malaysians home, including my daughter. I could not hold my tears when I saw her with my own eyes today.”
Two siblings, Muhammad Alif Hazim Abdul Shukor and Muhammad Alif Haziq Abdul Shukor, said they were relieved to be back in their mother’s arms.
“I am truly grateful to the government and those who have worked hard for this evacuation mission. Thank you for bringing us home.
“Even though we could call our mother using a landline, we could not hear her voice clearly. So we tried texting, hoping the messages would go through.
“We stayed indoors the whole time since the curfew was imposed last week. And once we learned of this evacuation mission, there’s no words to describe how grateful and happy we were,” said the siblings, who are both medical students.
The mission today saw 123 Malaysians brought home, and a few others remained behind as they wanted to focus on their studies or be with their families, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The mission, which was organised by several government agencies, including the Foreign Ministry, National Security Council, and AirAsia, saw the local airline charter their wide-body plane to Bangladesh earlier this morning and return home on the same day.
Students in Bangladesh have been demonstrating since July 1 against recent court-reinstated quotas for government jobs. The quota was abolished in 2018.
Protesters are demanding changes to the system, which reserves 56% of public jobs for certain groups.
Following the protest, Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the military in Dhaka and other districts, following clashes between demonstrators and police.
The government was also reported to have largely cut off internet, telephone, and SMS services.
Nearly 180 people have died and 2,500 have been nabbed by the authorities since violence broke out last Tuesday. – July 23, 2024