Kuala lumpur: Only five Malaysians, consisting of four students and a businessman, have chosen to remain in Iran, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. These individuals have signed a letter of undertaking to stay in the country despite the government’s previous call for all Malaysians to evacuate due to the escalating conflict.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the evacuation process for Malaysians in Iran has been completed, with all others having returned home on June 21. Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had instructed all Malaysians, most of whom were based in Tehran, to return. However, the four students, who are staying in Qom and Esfahan, along with the businessman, have decided to remain. They expressed their gratitude to the Malaysian government and Wisma Putra for their support.
Previously, media reports highlighted that 24 individuals, including Malaysians, had safely arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH781. This group included 17 Malaysians, six Iranian dependents of Malaysian citizens, and one Singaporean national.
In a separate development, Mohamad announced Malaysia’s plans to collaborate with Indonesia to explore economic opportunities in the maritime border area between Malaysia and Indonesia in Ambalat. Although the area is still under negotiation between the two nations, Malaysia aims to prevent this resource-rich region from becoming a liability or being neglected.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto recently made strides towards an agreement, with a technical committee assigned to swiftly identify methods to finalise the deal. The proposed cooperation could involve joint development akin to that in the Gulf of Siam, Thailand, benefiting both countries through shared interests in the region’s natural resources.
The commitment to accelerate strategic cooperation was underscored by Anwar and Prabowo’s discussions, focusing on peaceful and mutually beneficial development in the maritime border area of Malaysia and Indonesia in Ambalat.