KUANTAN: It is business as usual for the Malaysian embassy, consulate offices and its personnel in China despite the Covid-19 outbreak.
Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the Malaysian Ambassador to China (Raja Datuk Nushirwan Zainal Abidin) and consulates officers were on duty as usual.
"They are on duty to ensure the wellbeing of Malaysians in China... there is no issue of a shortage of manpower and operations are running smoothly. Only the Malaysian staff's spouses and children had been repatriated back to Malaysia.
"Since Wisma Putra had asked our officers to remain in China, we decided to provide them with food supplies. Food supplies are occasionally sent by commercial flights," he said.
Saifuddin was speaking after launching the district-level "Jom ke Sekolah" programme, a collaboration between the Education Ministry and the police at SMK Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom here today.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the six embassy personnel, who traveled to Wuhan as part of the efforts to rescue and evacuate Malaysians stranded in the epicentre of the outbreak on Feb 2, will be allowed to return home soon.
"The six Wisma Putra staffs are still being quarantined and I was informed that they are in good health. If everything progress well, then will be allowed to return home soon and will be given a short break.
"They are our heroes as they entered Wuhan when it was placed on a lockdown to help bring out Malaysians there and lets wait for an announcement from the Health Ministry when the six of them are allowed home," he said.
He said the embassy staff which returned along with other Malaysians in a special aircraft sent by the Malaysian government on Feb 3 will be on leave before further announcement is made on the next move.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali would lead the Malaysian delegation to the Beijing+25 in New York, United States which will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
"The Beijing+25 will be held in conjunction with United Nations General Assembly in September. Tun Dr Siti Hasmah has agreed to led the Malaysian delegation to New York...we are waiting for the official name and dates for the programme.
"Wisma Putra will be organising programes during the event at New York with other participating countries under the theme of gender equality," he said.