Editor’s note: Flight details for West Malaysian ex-detainees amended.
By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, Feb 17: The journey back to Malaysia from Cambodia for 40 Sarawakians and three Sabahans ex-detainees has begun.
Carrying nothing else except their travel documents, which were issued to them yesterday, all of them are excited and looking forward to being home with their families.
Accompanied by Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, the entourage departed Pyramid Hotel in Banteay Meanchey at 6am today for Siem Reap International Airport, Cambodia.
They are expected to depart Siem Reap around 10am on chartered JC International Airline, which will enable them to fly direct from Siem Reap to Kuching, arriving at around 1.30pm today.
While they were on their way to Siem Reap International Airport (two hours journey by bus), Fatimah told the Malaysians that they had one more hurdle to go through at airport immigration, which is have their travel documents checked, before they could board the plane and fly back.
Meanwhile, the Sarawak government has also assisted four other ex-detainees from West Malaysia (three from Selangor and one from Kuala Lumpur). They are expected to board an AirAsia flight from Siem Reap to Kuala Lumpur and are expected to arrive KLIA2 at 11.35am today.
MP Santubong Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Sarawak Foreign Affairs Ministry director Deddy Faisal Ahmad Salleh are also accompanying the delegates.
The 47 Malaysians, of whom 40 are Sarawakians, were detained at the Banteay Manchey Provincial Prison near Siem Reap in Cambodia since Dec 11 last year following suspected involvement in online gambling activities. — DayakDaily
