Parents of Sabah students in Middle East urged to remain calm
KOTA KINABALU: State Education Exco Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif urged parents of students in the Middle East to remain calm as the state and federal governments are monitoring the situation there.
Mohd Arifin in a statement on Tuesday said that the government through Wisma Putra and the Ministry of Higher Education, is monitoring the situation of Malaysian students, especially those in Jordan and Egypt.
According to him, the State Government will also periodically contact Wisma Putra and the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia for the latest information.
“I just contacted the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs cum Kimanis Member of Parliament Datuk Mohamad Alamin regarding this matter. Alhamdulillah, according to him, the Ministry of Higher Education and Wisma Putra are prepared for any situation, including repatriation of our children if necessary.
“Sabah Foundation director Datuk Seri Ghulam Haidar and I are constantly in touch with Sabah representative (Senior Student Manager of the Sabah Foundation/Sabah Education Attaché in the Middle East) Ustaz Sabli Aliju, who oversees Sabahan students in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, regarding the current situation in these three countries.
“We have experience in coordinating, monitoring and even repatriating Sabahan students back to Malaysia during political crises in Egypt,” the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister said.
Mohd Arifin disclosed that there are currently 248 Sabah children studying in Egypt, 79 in Jordan and nine in Saudi Arabia.
They are enrolled in various universities, pursuing different fields of study, funded by scholarships, grants, or selffinanced.
Among their sponsors are the Sabah Government Scholarship, Sabah Foundation, Sabah Islamic Religious Council and Public Service Department.
“Once again, I hope parents and families remain calm. Let us pray for the tense crisis to subside so that our children studying abroad can be in good, calm and comfortable conditions to pursue their studies. In addition to praying for the safety of our children abroad, let us continue to pray for the safety and well-being of our brethrens in Palestine as they too are undergoing a difficult time,” he said.