Sulu lauded for helping stranded Malaysians
MALAYSIA has praised Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, head of the provincial task force on Covid-19, for taking care of nearly four dozen Malaysian citizens stranded for over two months because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Ambassador Norman Muhamad thanked Tan in a recent meeting facilitated by the Department of Tourism ( DoT) in Zamboanga City.
Tan was accompanied by Sulu planning and development coordinator Bertrand Chio, Sulu provincial engineer Abdurasad Baih, Jolo Mayor Kerkhar Tan, and Tourism Assistant Secretary for Mindanao and Palawan Myra Paz Abubakar.
Muhamad conveyed the “gratefulness and appreciation of the Malaysian government to the provincial government for tracing and taking care of their 43 stranded citizens in Sulu, stranded due to the lockdown imposed by local government units as measure to prevent the entry of the pandemic.”
Kuala Lumpur previously applauded Tan for assisting the stranded Malaysians after Nur Harun, the consul general of Malaysia, wrote a letter to the governor and thanked him for quickly assisting their citizens, who entered Sulu on March 10.
“In this regard and on behalf of the Government of Malaysia, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the assistance, concern and hospitality that have been accorded to them by the Sulu provincial government during this trying time,” Harun said in his letter seen by the Zamboanga newspaper.
“Please rest assured that the consulate general of Malaysia in
Davao City is currently working around the clock to have them repatriated to Malaysia soonest possible with the close cooperation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Regional Department of Tourism, local government units and other various parties in Malaysia and the Philippines,” he added.
Harun also thanked Jainab Abdulmajid, the spokesman and secretary of the Sulu Task Force Covid-19, for tracing the whereabouts of all the Malaysians and providing them their necessities.
“Our special thanks also go to Madam Jainab Abdulmajid, the spokeswoman and secretary of the Sulu Task Force Covid-19 that has spared no effort in tracing the whereabouts of these Malaysians. We look forward to continue
working closely with the Sulu provincial government on this matter,” he said.
Abdulmajid, upon instructions from Tan, coordinated with the police and searched for the Malaysians and eventually located all of them.
“Governor Tan provided cash assistance and rice to the families while the municipal social service department provided food and non-food items,” she said.
Muhamad also met with Zamboanga City Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar at the sidelines of the repatriation of the Malaysians, including those stranded in Zamboanga City and nearby Basilan province.
“The Embassy of Malaysia would like to record thanks to
the Philippine Republic Government for finally giving the approval of this rescue operation. [Malaysia] did not forget the high appreciation to the Sulu Task Force [Covid-19] in taking care of Malaysians in Sulu; and the Philippine Marines and Philippine [ National] Police on the safety and security that had been given throughout the operation.”
“Our party is also touched by the help of the Philippine Air Force for flYING THE aMBASSADOR AND OFfiCERS of the Malaysian Embassy in Manila to Zamboanga City so that all the affairs there can be managed by our side,” the embassy said.
It added that a total of 154 Malaysians stranded in the PhilIPPINES HAD BEEN flOWN OUT OF THE country.