67 Students Arrive Safely From Yemen, Express Gratitude To Govt For Quick Action

SEPANG (Selangor, Malaysia), April 17 (Bernama) -- A total 67 Malaysian students evacuated from Aden, the worst conflict affected area in Yemen, arrived home safely on Thursday. The students arrived at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in two groups from Dubai and Colombo respectively. The first group of 42 students were met on arrival by Second Education Minister Idris Jusoh and Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri. Syariah Islamiah student Mohd Luqmanulhakim Zulkifli, 16, could only voice his gratitude for the evacuation after the mosque where students of Madrasah Ribat Al-Idrus took cover for the past three weeks was blown to smithereens hours after they moved out. He said they survived only by eating rice with onions as food supply was difficult to obtain. "The tense situation in Aden was extraordinary and the students must be ready for any possibility including seeking another shelter. "I think we would have been killed if the government was late in evacuating us," he said when met at the airport. Sharing his experience, Ahmad Zaidi Abdullah, 16, said during the turmoil the residents in the area where they studied were generally armed, but they did not disturb the students at the Madrasah. The third of seven siblings from Paka of Malaysian east coast state, Terengganu said the 22-hour boat-ride during their evacuation from Aden to Djibouti would always remain in his memory. "We were packed like sardines in the boat with 200 others, but it was all worth it as we managed to escape," he said. Another first year student at the same religious school, Syed Hafiz Syed Mohd Alwi said travelling by boat in very rough seas was a painful experience. "We only ate boiled potatoes throughout the journey," he added. Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has expressed gratitude for the safe return of two groups of Malaysian students from Yemen on Thursday. He also thanked all quarters involved in the evacuation of the students from the conflict-stricken country and those who had prayed for their safety. "Syukur Alhamdulilah (All praise be to Allah), with the efforts and prayers from all, the two groups of our students have arrived home safely from Yemen today," he said in his latest posting on Facebook and Twitter. (photoBERNAMA) --BERNAMA