YALA, Nov 21 — Three Malaysian siblings are stranded for the past eight months in Thailand after the Thailand-Malaysia border was closed on March 18 to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
The siblings, Muhamaad Adam Danel Mohd Rozi,11, Muhammad Arash Raihan (seven years old) and Muhammad Muhaimin Putra (three years) had accompanied their mother, Sakina Museh, 38, a Thai national, to renew her visa in Yala, southern Thailand on March 16.
Sakina said her three children had to follow her back as there was no one to take of them in Malaysia.
“My husband (Mohd Rozi Ab Rahman) had passed away from cancer in September.
“As the situation was critical at that time, I was forced to take them along with me (to Thailand without valid documents) as there was no one to take care of them.
“After two days in Thailand, the Malaysian government announced the Movement Control Order (MCO) and closed the border gates on March 18,” she said.
In addition, Sakina said the cost to reenter Malaysia for them was rather high as they had to bear the cost of undergoing a 14-day quarantine and the costs of tests to detect Covid-19.
“I hope the Malaysian and Thai governments can help us to go back to Malaysia. We are left with the clothes on our back,” said Sakina, who is a recipient of aid from the Selangor Zakat Centre.
She said her children had been asking her when they could return to Malaysia as they wanted to continue their schoolings.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla endeavoured to help the siblings and their mother to return to Malaysia. — Bernama
