KL CONSIDERS EVACUATION OF MALAYSIAN STUDENTS IN PADANG

JAKARTA, Oct 1 (Bernama) - Kuala Lumpur is considering seriously the
possibility of evacuating all the 330 Malaysian students in Padang home pending
normalcy of the situation in the city, following a 7.6 magnitude earthquake
Wednesday.

The deputy head of mission at the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, Amran
Mohamed Zain, said there was a possibility that the students would be sent home
using the Malaysian Air Force aircraft as soon as the Minangkabau Airport in
Padang, could be reopened.

"To bring them home is the best option because if they continue to remain in
Padang, they will not be comfortable with all the facilities lacking. Further
more, all lectures have also been cancelled," he told Bernama here Thursday.

He said the embassy had sent officers from the Malaysian Consulate in Medan
and Pekan Baru to Padang to evaluate the situation there.

"If the team recommends that the students be evacuated, we will coordinate
their transfer with Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry)," he added.

Meanwhile, an operations room has been opened at the Malaysian Consulate in
Medan since yesterday to monitor the situation. The operations room can be
contacted at 00626145531342.

Most of the Malaysians studying in Padang are medical students at the
Andalas University, which was reported to be badly damaged in the earthquake.

According to the director of the Malaysian Students Department in Indonesia,

Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar, all the Malaysian students were in safe condition last
night, although there were drenched and without food and water.

As of this morning, a second year student, only identified as Fernisha, was
treated at the Yodarso Hospital for a back injury, while the president of the
Malaysian Students Welfare Association in Indonesia, only known as Martaza,
passed out after falling on a motorcycle when on his way to visit Fernisha, he
added.
He said efforts were being made to send the necessary assistance to the
students.
-- BERNAMA