PUTRAJAYA, June 12 — Eighty-one Malaysians who were stranded in the southern Philippines returned home yesterday, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said all of them were flown home via the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) Charlie C-130 aircraft which landed at Terminal 2 of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA).

Five medical officers from the Health Ministry as well as the RMAF were also on board to monitor the passengers.

"All of them are currently undergoing a 14-day quarantine at designated centres,” he said in a statement today.

They were stranded in the Philippines following the enforcement of curfew and lockdown in that country to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Hishammuddin said all of them who had registered with the office of the Consulate General of Malaysia in Davao City had been provided with necessary assistance since March.

He also recorded his appreciation to the Malaysian Armed Forces especially the RMAF as well as the Philippines government which had helped facilitate the process of bringing home the affected Malaysians.

Meanwhile, RMAF in a separate statement said the C-130 aircraft departed from the air base in Labuan at 10 am yesterday, before arriving at the Zamboanga International Airport at noon.

The flight with all 81 Malaysians stranded in the southern Philippines then departed at 3.25pm and arrived at the KKIA at 4.25pm. — Bernama