MALAYSIANS STRANDED IN PARIS PLEAD FOR HELP

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) -- Seven Malaysians in Paris who are
stranded following flight cancellations are pleading for assistance from the
Malaysian embassy in the French capital.

Kayusaha Corp Sdn Bhd marketing director Azman Abdul Rahman said they had
just taken part in the JEC Bio-Composite Expo 2010 at Porte de Versailles, Paris

from April 13 to 16.

"We are all in the field of bio-composite, which is a new industry that has
captured the attention of the Europeans. We hope our embassy can help us," he
told Bernama in a phone interview from Paris.

The group is left stranded following a volcanic eruption underneath southern
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier on April 15, sending ash and ice into the air
that were pushed by winds across Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia and into the
heart of Europe, cancelling all flights since then.

Azman said according to TV reports from TF1 and CNN, all airports in France
had been directed to close until Monday afternoon.

"When we called a man named Mahyudin at our embassy in Paris and told him
of our plight, he said, 'the embassy can only help to give information. We don't
have the budget to help or have facilities to provide accommodation for
anyone'," he said.

Azman said they had all recently pursued in the business with limited
resources.

"We really need help in emergency situations like this, otherwise, we will
be stuck. If the situation prolongs, we may have to leave the hotel and camp at
the Charles De Gaulle Airport with a Malaysian flag next to our bags," he said.

Azman and the other Malaysians, who were supposed to have returned
Saturday, had to bear the extra cost of accommodation and were still unsure
of when they could leave Paris.

"The cheapest meal available costs 20 euro (RM86) and hotel accommodation
costs 60 euro (RM258) per day. We brought just enough for our stay here, but now
we have exceeded our limited budget," he said.

-- BERNAMA



Delete & Prev | Delete & Next