MARANG: If given an opportunity, German national Ralf Nussbaum and his family would rather wait out the Covid-19 pandemic in Pulau Kapas, near here, rather than return home.
The 50-year-old, is among 36 foreign tourists who had been stuck on the scenic island known for its diving and snorkeling due to the imposition of the Movement Control Order (MCO), since March 18.
The engineer, together with his wife Eva Nussbaum, 50 and children Louis, 6 and Lucie, 3 will return to Germany this Tuesday after being in Pulau Kapas for the past one month.
Nussbaum said the family had no choice but to return home as their social visit passes were expiring soon.
“After more than a month here, we are facing financial problems and as such need to go home urgently.
“My family in Germany are also worried for our safety,” he said when met at Pulau Kapas on Saturday.
Nussbaum said he and his family were lucky that they were stranded in Pulau Kapas and that they were treated very well during their stay on the island located six kilometres from the mainland.
“I can’t imagine being stuck anywhere else, it is unlikely that we would have been treated as well as here,” he said.
Nussbaum thanked the Marang District Office for arranging the family’s transportation to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), free of charge.
Meanwhile, Eva said she will never forget the kindness, comfort and assistance provided to her family during their stay in Pulau kapas.
“All the locals and the management of the accommodation on the island have been so kind to us that we feel at ease here.
"This is the first time for us in Pulau Kapas and Malaysia and we will definitely return here due to the kindness of the locals," she said.
Marang District Officer, Tun Ahmad Faisal Tun Abdul Razak said they had always been concerned on the needs and safety of foreign tourists stranded on Pulau Kapas.
"We will assist them to the best of our ability including providing transportation to KLIA if necessary," he said.