24 March 2020
Malaysians stranded at the Chennai and Trichy airports in India will be brought home via chartered AirAsia flights.
Chartered by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), the flights will be accorded special privilege to land in India, despite the country being under lockdown over the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first batch of 369 Malaysians returned home via two AirAsia flights on Monday after Malaysia and India agreed on several terms.
Today, another 372 Malaysians are expected to arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2).
MIC president Tan Sri SA Vigneswaran said that with the assistance of the Foreign Ministry and the Indian High Commission here, it has brokered a win-win deal to bring 1,116 stranded Malaysians back from India.
“Thanks to the good relationship and understanding between both countries, we successfully brought home 369 Malaysians on Monday.
“Following lengthy discussions and special consideration via diplomatic channels, we were finally given the green light to land in Trichy to bring our Malaysians home,” he said.
Vigneswaran said the Indian government is making an exception and has agreed to allow six flights to transport Malaysians home from the subcontinent.
“Today, we sent 113 Indians stranded while on transit (in Malaysia) on a flight to Chennai, (which will return with Malaysian passengers).
“Since the AirAsia flights which MIC chartered for those stuck in Chennai and Trichy were flying without passengers, we offered the stranded Indians a lift back to their country.
“It was a win-win situation for both nations and we are very thankful for the exception the Indian government allowed for our flights,” Vigneswaran said at klia2 during a send-off for the 113 Indian nationals.
Also present at the airport was Human Resources Minister and MIC deputy President Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, a representative from the Foreign Ministry, and Indian High Commissioner Mridul Kumar.
Source: nst.com.my
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