The Malaysian government currently does not see the need to repatriate Malaysians in West Asia, following the security situation in the Gulf region which is reported to be under control.
The decision was made after the airspace in several countries in the region was reopened and commercial flight operations were gradually returning to normal.
Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said the government, through the National Security Council and the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, was constantly monitoring security developments in West Asia closely.
So far, he explained that the situation in the Gulf countries had not shown any worrying signs that required immediate evacuation of Malaysians.
According to him, the reopening of airspace in the region also contributed to the decision when international airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways had resumed their flight schedules.
In fact, local airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air had also resumed flights to important destinations such as Jeddah and Madinah.
Although no evacuation operations were planned in the near future, the government had actually prepared an evacuation plan as a precautionary measure.
The plan has received policy approval from the Cabinet and will only be implemented if the conflict in West Asia worsens or affects the safety of Malaysians there.
At the same time, the national defense is also prepared if an evacuation order is issued.
Air Force Commander, Muhamad Norazlan Aris, announced that the Royal Malaysian Air Force is likely to mobilize Squadron Number 8 based at Subang Air Base to carry out the operation.
The squadron operates the Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft which has the capacity to carry up to 37 tons of cargo in a single flight.
This aircraft is often used in humanitarian aid missions, logistics operations and emergency evacuations if necessary.
For now, the government has chosen a cautious approach by continuing to monitor developments in West Asia from time to time.
If the situation changes or the safety of Malaysians is threatened, the evacuation plan that has been prepared can be activated at any time.
