KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the evacuation of Malaysians in Egypt and helping them to return home safely.
THANK YOU: Najib (right) receives an appreciation memorandum from Dr Maamor. — Bernama photo
“I would like to thank personally everyone who has been involved, regardless of their ethnic background, to execute Ops Piramid.
“ Thank you,” he said in his blog www.1malaysia.com yesterday.
Najib described the operation, codenamed ‘Ops Piramid’, as a fine example of the 1Malaysia spirit.
“Ops Piramid would not have been a great success without the Rakyat’s spirit of 1Malaysia.
It is this spirit that banded everyone together; from individuals to large organisations; to ensure the safety and well-being of our children, friends and family members during this harrowing ordeal.”
“Regardless of ethnicity, age or creed, everyone involved did everything in their power to aid their fellow Malaysians in need.
“I know many of you have gone with very little sleep to ensure the evacuation process continues smoothly. I salute your perseverance and determination,” he said.
Ops Piramid is a mission to rescue Malaysians trapped in Egypt and evacuating them to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, following turmoil in the north African country.
The first batch of Malaysian citizens returned home from Jeddah on Monday.
As of Wednesday, 7,209 Malaysians have been relocated to Jeddah, and 1,439 have returned home.
Najib said that with a large number of Malaysians in Egypt, the government assessed the situation and worked out an action plan to evacuate Malaysians in the country.
He added that after universities around the country closed down and protests gained in momentum, the students were confined mainly to their homes, with depleting food supplies and limited communication with the outside world.
“I could only imagine the fear and worry that the students and their families were feeling.
So, it was a huge relief for us all that last Monday, we were able to welcome home over 700 Malaysians who were flown in from Egypt on specially chartered flights,” he said.
He was also glad that those Malaysians who had returned or were coming home were safe and hoped that those who had chosen to remain in Egypt would stay together and look out for each other during these challenging times.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you,” he said.
Najib said that the government together with the private sector used all available resources to expedite the process and would also seek ways to ensure that the students could continue to pursue their education despite the circumstances. — Bernama