KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif yesterday urged parents and families of Sabah students studying in the Middle East to remain calm amidst the rising conflict in the region.
He said that the Sabah state government is in frequent contact with Wisma Putra and the Higher Education Ministry and they are monitoring the situation, especially in Egypt and Jordan, to obtain the latest information about the situation there.
He added that he personally contacted Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin, who is also Kimanis MP, and was informed that both ministries were ready for any situation, including bringing the students home.
“Currently, there are 248 Sabahans studying in Egypt, 79 in Jordan and nine in Saudi Arabia. They are in several universities in various courses and some have scholarships and bursaries, from the Sabah state government, Yayasan Sabah, the Sabah Islamic Religious Council and the Public Services Department, while others are self-funded,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He also said that he and Yayasan Sabah were in constant contact with the guardians of Sabah students in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia about the students’ current situation in all three countries.
“We also have experience coordinating and monitoring, as well as bringing back Sabahans during the political crisis in Egypt,” he said, urging all parties to pray that the tense situation will return to normal so that the students can resume their studies in peace and safety.
