THE National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) is ready to bring home 80 Malaysians from Wuhan, China, which is deep in the throes of a coronavirus outbreak.

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said they would be brought home via a commercial flight as soon as possible.

“The aircraft will also carry a medical team, and those who will be brought back will undergo a health screening in China before being examined again once arrived in Malaysia, and if needed they will be quarantined,” he told reporters here today.

Saifuddin said the ministry was currently in discussions with its Chinese counterpart on several issues before the evacuation process begins.

He was confident that China would extend its cooperation to Malaysia.

Saifuddin said there were 35,000 Malaysians in China, only 115 of which were in Hubei.

“Of the 115, only 80 remain in Wuhan as the others have either left for holidays, returned home to Malaysia, or gone to other provinces in China,” he said.

Saifuddin said the Malaysian embassy in Beijing had been communicating with Malaysians in the republic for the past week.

As a sign of solidarity, Malaysia will be sending 10 million pieces of rubber gloves needed by Chinese healthcare workers. – Bernama, January 31, 2020.