Planes carrying students evacuated from Egypt land at KLIA

SEPANG: A Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane and an AirAsia plane carrying students evacuated from Egypt touched down at the Bunga Raya complex at KLIA at about 10am. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin were among the dignitaries and parents waiting to receive them. "The mission to rescue Malaysians trapped in Egypt was a success as everyone rallied behind the effort irrespective race," Najib told reporters.

There were 456 students in the MAS plane and 319 students in the AirAsia plane. Almost 9,000 students and other Malaysians, evacuated from strife-torn Egypt to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia by Monday noon, will be flown home from Jeddah by MAS, AirAsia and the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports from JEDDAH that some Malaysian citizens, who are working in Egypt, and final year students were reluctant to return home, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom. He said the evacuation of Malaysian citizens from Egypt would be extended to Tuesday if those who had decided to stay back changed their minds. "Although they have decided not to return to Malaysia, they assisted those who were flown out of Egypt to Jeddah," he told a news conference on Monday. He said 50 Malaysian students from Jordan, who were trapped in Egypt, were also flown to Jeddah before returning to Jordan on Monday. Jamil Khir said the Royal Malaysian Air Force's Hercules C-130 and AirAsia aircraft were flying from Alexandria to Jeddah while Malaysia Airlines aircraft was flying students from Cairo.
-thestar online.