Source: Bernama on Facebook & New Straits Times
As tensions rise in Iran, 11 Singaporeans have been successfully evacuated from the country since the start of the conflict, including one who was part of a 1,120km journey to safety via Turkmenistan arranged by the Malaysian Embassy.
On 22 June, a group of 24 individuals — comprising 17 Malaysians, one Singaporean, and six Iranian dependents of Malaysian citizens — were flown into Kuala Lumpur (KL) from Bangkok after fleeing Iran.
Led by Malaysia’s ambassador to Iran, Khairi Omar, the group travelled eastward from Tehran to escape possible airstrikes from the west.
Source: Bernama on Facebook
They travelled 1,120 kilometres from the capital of Tehran to the nation of Turkmenistan, which allowed foreign nationals to cross the border.
All 24 crossed into Turkmenistan on 21 June and boarded a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, the next day.
From there, they boarded Malaysia Airlines flight MH781.
According to Bernama, the plane landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 11.03pm on 22 June.
According to the New Straits Times, this was 72-year-old Dr Suraiya Ali’s second time being caught in an Iranian conflict.
Source: New Straits Times
She had previously lived in Iran forty years ago, when the Iran-Iraq War broke out in Sept 1980.
Dr Suraiya returned to Malaysia to stay. She only flew back to Iran on 13 June for the Eid al-Adha celebrations and promptly got caught up in another war.
According to her, their 18 June return flights ended up getting cancelled, stranding them.
Her son later informed her that the Malaysian embassy in Tehran had arranged for their evacuation back to KL.
Dr Suraiya thanked the Malaysian government and the embassy staff, whom she said treated them like family.
The Malaysian embassy in Tehran coordinated the evacuation, with help from the embassies in Bangkok and Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry also thanked the governments of Iran, Turkmenistan, and Thailand for their cooperation.
Source: Bernama via Malay Mail
It added that the involvement of a Singaporean citizen showed Malaysia’s readiness to help citizens of fellow ASEAN nations.
In a press update, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirmed that 10 other citizens were also safely evacuated from Iran.
A family of three Singaporeans has been evacuated from Tehran to Muscat, Oman, with a group of Omanis.
“The Singapore Embassy in Muscat and the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur worked closely with their host governments and embassy counterparts to facilitate the Singaporeans’ departure from Iran,” an MFA spokesperson said.
The Singapore Government expressed its “deepest appreciation and gratitude” to the governments of Oman and Malaysia for facilitating the four citizens’ returns.
MFA has also provided the necessary consular assistance to seven other Singaporeans in Iran. They left Iran for Armenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Also read: US bombs 3 nuclear sites in Iran in ‘very successful attack’, says President Trump
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Featured image adapted from Bernama on Facebook and New Straits Times.