The students from Sabah at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
KOTA KINABALU: Three students from Sabah were brought back home from Syria following the internal strife there.
Khairul Bariah binti Ahmad from Sandakan, Nur Lina binti Abdullah from Tawau and Kifli bin Yasoi from Keningau arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) yesterday and are scheduled to reach Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan today.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman is thankful that the Sabah students have returned to Malaysia unharmed.
“We are also thankful that no untoward incident happened to them during their stay there. I especially wish to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council for bringing them safely home as well as those who have facilitated their return such as Rumah Sabah and the Sabah Foundation.
“I also wish to thank the Malaysian Embassy in Syria for continously monitoring their welfare in spite of the turmoil in the country. I am sure their families are relieved now that their loved ones are safely home, especially since Hari Raya is just around the corner.
The three Sabahan students were among 58 of 100 Malaysian students in Syria expected to return home on three flights yesterday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Richard Riot told Bernama yesterday that the first group of 16 arrived on Qatar Airways from Beirut at 3.10pm while the second group of 42 arrived on Emirates from Damascus at 3.40pm.
“The third group of 42 are expected to arrive at 8.40pm on Qatar Airways from Beirut. All Malaysians in Syria are safe,” he told reporters after welcoming the students at KLIA.
The first group of seven Malaysian students in Syria arrived home on an Emirates flight on Wednesday.
Riot said arrival of the 100 students would bring an end to the evacuation leaving some students, workers and embassy officials in Syria.
“We will continue to persuade the students to return but once they decided to stay, our officers will leave as our embassy will be temporarily closed,” he said.