ALOR SETAR: Seventeen students from Kedah are staying put in Egypt despite the political unrest in the country, said state Education Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Taulan Mat Rasul.
Mostly male students had chosen to remain in Egypt because of several reasons, including problems in their studies and financial constraints, he said.
“The students, who are also mostly private students, are also willing to stay back as they feel that the situation where they are staying is safe,” he told a press conference here Sunday.
Also present was Kedah Islamic Foundation general manager Abdul Rahman Ismail.
Mohamed Taulan said another 133 students were believed to have travelled to other countries for holidays and had yet to return to their universities due to the study break.
“These are private students and the foundation officers are still trying to get in touch with them,” he said.
He said that the foundation officers, sent to Cairo on Wednesday, had compiled all data on the students studying in Egypt.
He said there were 1,016 students from Kedah, including private students and those sent by the foundation and Kedah Islamic Religious Department.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported from CAIRO that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the evacuation of Malaysians to the Tabung Haji pilgrims' transit centre in Jeddah was expected to be completed by noon on Monday.
National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab said the government would fly out about 9,000 Malaysians who had decided to return home.
However, he said the rest of the students had changed their minds at the last minute and decided to stay back.
He said those who chose to be evacuated were being flown out of strife-torn Cairo by the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia.
The priority of the rescue effort is to ensure their safety and well-being.
"For this reason they are being sheltered in Jeddah first before we take the next course of action," he told Malaysian reporters here Sunday, according to Bernama.
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