THE 85 Malaysians registered with the Malaysian High Commission in Sri Lanka are reported to be safe despite the latest tensions in that country, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said.

He said the ministry is closely monitoring developments in Sri Lanka and is prepared to evacuate Malaysians if the situation worsens.

“We expect the situation in Sri Lanka to ease in a few days after its president and prime minister hand over power to the assembly speaker,” he said.

“For now, we advise Malaysians there not to leave their homes and to immediately contact the Malaysian High Commission if necessary, especially with regard to food supply.”

Saifuddin told the media this today after attending a sacrificial ritual ceremony for the Indera Mahkota parliamentary constituency at Masjid Sungai Karang Darat in Kuantan involving the distribution of meat of 43 cows slaughtered in conjunction with Aidiladha.

He urged those who fail to contact their relatives in Sri Lanka to immediately alert the Malaysian diplomatic mission in Colombo for help.

“We do not expect anything bad to happen to them; it’s just that communication there might have been cut off,” he said.

According to international media reports, Sri Lanka has been grappling with an unprecedented economic and financial crisis after it failed to repay external loans totalling US$51 billion (RM226 billion) and is seeking help from the International Monetary Fund.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced their resignations after thousands of anti-government protesters barged into the president’s official residence in central Colombo on Saturday and torched the private residence of the prime minister. – Bernama, July 11, 2022.