KUALA LUMPUR: About 3,300 Malaysian students in Egypt who were to sit for their repeat exams in Egyptian institutions of higher learning in August had their exams postponed to a later date which will be announced later.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Education yesterday, Education Malaysia Egypt (EME) had received confirmation of the postponement from the Egyptian deputy minister of Higher Education.
“Eventhough there are only a few students sitting for the repeat examination, safety precautions have to be taken to safeguard Malaysian students and their education in Egypt,” said the statement.
The Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education would also take action against any university that does not comply with the directive, it added.
On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was reported as saying that the government took a serious view of the growing unrest in Egypt and that steps were being taken to ensure the security of Malaysian students who were still in the country.
When contacted by Bernama on Saturday, the director of Home Affairs and Student Development Department of the Higher Education Ministry, Ibrahim Ali said overall there were 11,145 Malaysian students in Egypt.
However, 7,845 of them have returned home for the semester break and there were currently 3,300 Malaysian students there.
For further infomation parents and students can contact the ministry’s operations room at 03-88706611 and 03-88706627, or they can send an email to [email protected].
Meanwhile, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the safety of Malaysian students in Egypt remains a top priority.
The Prime Minister in his tweet said that the government would undertake the necessary measures to bring them home safely.
“The safety of our students in Egypt remains a top priority. We will do what is necessary to ensure they can be brought home safe,” he said. — Bernama
Najib had reportedly directed that preparations be made to bring back Malaysian students who are pursuing studies in Egypt in view of the current developments in the country.
Meanwhile, Education Ministry and Wisma Putra in Egypt have set up a “safe home” to facilitate the evacuation of Malaysian students if the situation warrants it.
Bloody clashes erupted on Wednesday between supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and security forces after the forces moved to clear out protest camps at two major squares in Egypt set up by Morsi’s loyalists demanding his return to power. – Bernama