IPOH, June 7 — Thirty-two passengers comprising locals as well as citizens and permanent residents of Singapore, today left for the republic from the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LSTAS) here, the first flight since the movement control order (MCO) was enforced on March 18.
All the passengers boarded a plane owned by Singapore’s low-cost airline, FlyScoot TR481 at 1.10pm.
Perak Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi said only one flight departed from LTSAS today.
“So far there has been only one flight to that country and the state government is ready including providing a quarantine centre if there is an incoming flight to Perak,” she said when contacted.
Meanwhile, Ipoh district police chief ACP A. Asmadi Abdul Aziz said the flight consisted of eight Singaporeans including a child, 19 permanent residents of Singapore and five Malaysian students studying in the neighbouring country.
He said all the students were allowed to return to Singapore after obtaining an in-principle approval (IPA), as well as permission from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and Singapore’s Education Ministry.
“The situation was under control and everyone involved cooperated well,” he told Bernama.
Perak National Security Council (MKN) director, Khairul Ridzuan Mat Said said there were no obstacles for people of any nation to return to their country of origin, while Malaysian students were given clearance after obtaining permission from the authorities of the republic and the relevant ministries.
Meanwhile, LTSAS manager Mohd Ali Osman said they received 53 ticket bookings, but only 32 passengers boarded the flight today.
The mother of a passenger B. Sarasvathi, 49, said her only child, Ng Yee Ling, 20, was grateful to be allowed to return to Singapore, to continue her nursing education in her final semester, at the Nanyang Polytechnic.
“My daughter came home to Sungai Siput in February for her semester break, and was supposed to return in March, but was unable to do so because of the MCO and the Covid-19 outbreak,” she said, adding that her daughter was supposed to return on Friday but postponed to today.
A Bernama check at LTSAS found that the media was not allowed to enter, while passengers had to register and have their body temperature checked at the main entrance before being allowed to enter the departure hall and board the plane. — Bernama
