KUALA LUMPUR: All staff at the Malaysian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon have been instructed to return home starting Sunday due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Malaysian Ambassador to Lebanon Azri Mat Yacob told said four government officials would leave Lebanon on Sunday and Monday.
He added that 22 Malaysians have been evacuated since the beginning of the month.
"Currently, only one Malaysian remains, a representative from Mercy Malaysia, who will return tomorrow.
"For the second phase of the evacuation, it will involve four embassy officials, including myself, the First Secretary, the Second Secretary, and the Office Secretary, with two of them having already secured flight tickets," he told Berita Harian today.
Previously, it was reported that five Malaysians in Lebanon arrived in Malaysia on Oct 3 via a commercial flight, with 16 more individuals, all of whom are families residing in Lebanon, awaiting repatriation.
Elaborating further, Azri said the evacuation process aligns with a government directive issued on Oct 2, which called for the immediate extraction of all Malaysians from Lebanon.
"The Foreign Ministry has ordered all Home Based Staff (HBS) to return to Malaysia. This directive was issued after taking into account the worsening conflict and the lack of security assurances from the Lebanese government regarding HBS safety."
He also advised volunteer groups planning to travel to Lebanon to temporarily postpone their trips until the situation stabilises and is deemed safe.
"This is due to the escalating situation in Lebanon. The Foreign Ministry has issued several press statements, advising Malaysians who intend to travel to Lebanon to delay their plans until conditions improve and are safe.
"This is to ensure no Malaysians are caught up or trapped in the conflict. The evacuation process for several Malaysians has just been completed.
"Additionally, there are other methods for Malaysia to provide aid to the people of Lebanon without needing to be physically present in the country," he said.