SEVERAL Malaysians are still stranded in India because of lockdowns against Covid-19 and seemed to have slipped the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s notice.

A few of them spoke to The Malaysian Insight, while a Wisma Putra official said there were no more Malaysians stuck in India because of the coronavirus.

Firdaus Baharudin, 32, an engineer, said he arrived in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, for a work trip on February 15 and was supposed to have returned home on March 31. 

However, India imposed a complete lockdown on March 24 and Firdaus was stranded there. 

He said he contacted the consulate-general of Malaysia in Chennai in April, requesting to be put on a rescue flight but was told that it was prioritising citizens stranded without shelter and food. 

When asked about the rescue flights sponsored by MIC, he said those flights were sent to Chennai and with movement restrictions, he could not travel there from Andhra Pradesh.

“In order for me to get to Chennai, I would need to take a domestic flight or drive (almost 13 hours). But with the travel restrictions, I can’t go,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Firdaus said a few days back, he was informed of a private charter flight and told to contact the person in charge. He said after contacting him, he found that the flight was full. 

Frustration is growing daily as he misses his family and Hari Raya is just around the corner.

“How long do I need to wait here? I have a one-year-old daughter and wife back home. Hari Raya is almost here but I am still stuck here.

“My wife is also working and has difficulties finding someone to take care of our daughter.”

He added that he knows of four other fellow Malaysians from Sarawak, in his company also stranded in Andhra Pradesh with him.

Another Malaysian, Alan Tee, a businessman and a yoga teacher, is stuck in Rishikesh, in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, where he had gone for a yoga training course on March 8.

Tee has yet to receive a concrete answer on his return whenever he contacted the Malaysian high commission.

“I’ve been contacting the high commission of Malaysia here since March 26 and the answer was always ‘wait’.

“I feel helpless every time I contact the high commission. It’s always the same answer,” Tee said. 

The yoga school is still providing accommodation and food, despite his course ending on March 28. 

He said fellow Malaysians stranded in India managed to gather information and create a WhatsApp group to keep everyone connected and informed.

Some in the group have been trying to contact Malaysians for help, including politicians. 

“Many Malaysians here still haven’t flown back. So, they formed a chat group to find a way out. They have contacted politicians, Wisma Putra and others through Facebook messenger.” 

Tee’s wife is in Qatar and they are supposed to meet monthly but because of the Covid-19 situation, they can’t do that now. 

A Wisma Putra officer said no Malaysians are stranded in India because of the coronavirus, besides a tabligh attendees.

Others decided against taking the flights sponsored by MIC and that those flights were quite empty. 

“No more stranded Malaysians in India except the tabligh ones.

“The others are not stranded. They refused to return to Malaysia via earlier flights sponsored by MIC. Flights were quite empty,” she said, declining to be named as she was not authorised to speak to the media.

In March, Barisan Nasional party MIC had chartered six Air Asia flights to repatriate around 1,116 Malaysians from India. 

In the same month, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Kamarudin Jaffar told reporters in a Facebook live video that MIC will be sponsoring another 12 flights to bring back 1,988 Malaysians in Chennai, New Delhi, Amritsar and Trichy and that the repatriation process will be done in stages. 

For Johor Baru businessman Ng Yong Thye, however, it would seem that those who did not take these flights have no other recourse.

The 35-year-old who arrived in New Delhi on March 10, is currently under quarantine in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, by order of the local authorities. 

He has sent numerous messages to the Malaysian high commission but there was no help from them to date, Ng said.

“I’ve sent more than 50 emails asking for help but there is no support, no rescue from them. 

“I’ve been here for two months, and even the locals are asking why your embassy hasn’t come to help you.”

Ng said he considered himself lucky because the Indian authorities are covering the cost of his quarantine and food. Had he stayed in a hotel, he would be broke by now, he said.

He’s also worried about his safety because the villagers are not fond of Chinese nationals and they see him as one despite being a Malaysian. 

With several Indian and Chinese soldiers clashing recently near the Naku La sector in the border state of Sikkim, Ng fears for his safety.

Ng lives with his parents, wife and two children aged 10 and six, and simply wishes to get home soon. – May 18, 2020.