PUTRAJAYA is not just concerned over the safety of students returning to their hometowns, but is also worried about the wellbeing of those living in these villages, said Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The defence minister said there are currently 80,000 students stuck in their respective campuses and if they were allowed to return home, there will be a mass movement. 

“Today the Higher Education Ministry gave a proposal and we are looking into it. There are 80,000 students in campuses alone and there are more renting houses and staying off campus. 

“We have asked the Health Ministry to look at the health impact faced by the students as well as their family members and other residents in the area,” said Ismail at his daily press conference on the Covid-19 situation. 

In recent days, parents and student groups have been asking Putrajaya to allow students stuck on campuses to return home. 

Ismail said the government has been informed of a drop in infections and the Health Ministry does not want an increase of new cases. 

“This (an increase in new cases) will only jeopardise our effort to break the virus chain,” he added. 

Parents and students have previously told The Malaysian Insight they want an official order allowing them to return home from their campuses. 

Homemaker Hashimah Junaidi from Miri, Sarawak, said she is worried about her 20-year-old son who is a student at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. 

Muhamad Adib Fauzi was unable to fly back to Sarawak before the movement-control order (MCO) was imposed on March 18 and has been stuck here since then. 

Directives from the National Security Council before the MCO came into effect on March 18 at first stated that all students should leave campus. 

It was later changed to give students the choice to leave or remain on campus, before it was changed yet again for them to stay put.

The evening before March 18, students scrambled at train and bus terminals to get tickets to return home. 

Many were also stuck on campus or their rented accommodation because they could not get tickets or decided not to join the exodus.

The final directive to remain on campus came on the evening of March 18. 

The MCO is now extended to April 28 as the number of Covid-19 cases remains high.

Up to yesterday there were 4,228 Covid-19 cases nationwide, with 70 deaths. – April 11, 2020.