Malaysian secretariat begins operations in Wuhan

A task force from the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing has begun operating a secretariat in Wuhan city to assist Malaysians in the evacuation process following the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Malaysian Ambassador to China Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said in a statement last night that the team would continuously update information on logistics and facilitate the evacuation of Malaysians from Wuhan.

"Further discussions are also being undertaken with the Chinese government and the local authorities in the Hubei Province to ensure the smooth running of the process," he said.

Nushirwan said Malaysians in Wuhan had provided good feedback and cooperation so far, and the team has received good support from the Chinese government and local authorities.

In the meantime, Nushirwan said, 141 people, comprising 117 Malaysians and 24 non-citizens who are related to them would be brought back from Wuhan aboard a special aircraft.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in a statement yesterday said that Malaysians in Wuhan, China, would be brought home on a special flight today.

However, Wan Azizah said, only those who passed the health screening by the Chinese Government at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport would be allowed to get on board the aircraft.

- Bernama