Malaysian journalists in strife-torn Egypt safe

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- All Malaysian journalists covering the evacuation of Malaysian students out of Egypt are reported safe despite several untoward incidents, the prime minister's political secretary Shahlan Ismail said.
He said on the day they arrived in Cairo, several members of the media had their equipment seized by the immigration officials without warning.
"Television crew from TV3, Astro Awani and TV Al Hijrah had their cameras seized, maybe because they don't want the media to cover the protests.
"But for us, what is important is to cover the evacuation process," he told Bernama when contacted.
Some of the crew members, however, received their cameras back. "We, together with the Malaysian embassy here, are now discussing with the authorities here on how to get back the other equipment," he said.
Among incidents involving the Malaysian media in Egypt including being apprehended by armed groups.
On Thursday, TV3 and Berita Harian reporters were apprehended by a group of men armed with pistols while they were boarding a taxi on the way back to their hotel after interviewing Malaysian students who were being evacuated from the strife-torn city.
Shahlan said he had also heard of an incident where armed youth stopped a van carrying members of the Malaysian media.
On Friday, the van carrying 12 members of the Malaysian media and four Putera 1Malaysia Club members were stopped by a group of five youths armed with iron rods, sticks and other weapons.
Putera 1Malaysia Club president Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim confirmed that club members as well as the media were safe.
About 4,000 Malaysian students have been evacuated to Jeddah so far.
The mission to evacuate the remaining 9,600 is still underway.