No flights and closed borders - M'sian stranded in Macau after losing job
Since the Covid-19 outbreak triggered a global public health crisis, countries have closed their borders while many airlines have cancelled their flights.
This has left some Malaysians to be stranded overseas.
Chia Soon Hui is one of them. Chia was a dental technician working in Macau.
- UPDATED 4.13PM | Added comments by Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak triggered a global public health crisis, countries have closed their borders while many airlines have cancelled their flights.
This has left some Malaysians to be stranded overseas.
Chia Soon Hui is one of them. Chia was a dental technician working in Macau.
However, his company did not extend his working contract at the end of April and he was forced to extend his visa as there were no flights available for him to return to Malaysia.
When contacted by Malaysiakini, the 27-year-old Malaysian revealed that the only airline which flies from Macau to Malaysia is AirAsia but it has stopped flying the route due to the pandemic.
Places nearby have closed their borders
Apart from that, places nearby Macau such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China have also banned all foreigners from entering, cutting off opportunities for Chia to take a flight from any of those places.
According to Chia, the nearest Consulate General of Malaysia to Macau is in Hong Kong.
Chia had contacted the authorities for help but has not received any solutions.
“I tried to ask the Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong if I can enter Hong Kong (to take a flight), but they wanted me to ask the Hong Kong Immigration Department and the latter said they have to wait for the response from their central government.
“As for Taiwan and China, I read news stating that they are also closing their borders.”
Chia’s working visa is supposed to expire by May 20; however, the Macau Immigration Department has allowed him to extend his visa for another 20 days due to his current predicament.
Worried about financial problems in the long run
Chia is still staying in the staff dormitory until he buys a flight ticket.
“I’ve told my former company about my situation and they allowed me to stay in the dorm until I could buy a flight ticket.”
He is also worried that he might face financial problems if he continues to be stuck in Macau for a long period without a job.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Chia foresees that it would be difficult to find a new job in Macau and thus hopes to return to his hometown in Sekinchan, Selangor, as soon as possible.
Return to Malaysia only via Hong Kong
As Malaysia does not have an embassy in Macau, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong is in charge of Malaysian citizens’ affairs in Macau.
An officer from the Foreign Ministry told Malaysiakini they currently do not have data on the number of Malaysians in Macau.
The officer also told Malaysiakini to ask the Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong for further information on Chia’s case.
Meanwhile, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Hong Kong in a response to Malaysiakini said Malaysians in Macau can only return to Malaysia via Hong Kong.
Those in Macau must take a bus to Hong Kong through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, said the Consulate General.
“There are commercial bus services operating this route such as the Golden Bus Service. Passengers may check and purchase their tickets here."
However, those who have entered Hong Kong are required to complete a 14-day quarantine.
“They will have to show that they have somewhere to stay for 14 days, such as a hotel booking.
“Please also note that those who arrive in Hong Kong from Macau must also not have travelled anywhere outside Macau within the last 14 days,” said the Consulate General.
“Upon successful completion of the 14-day quarantine and having been cleared by the Hong Kong health authorities, they can then leave their quarantine location and catch a commercial flight back to Malaysia from Hong Kong.
“As of May 15, Cathay Dragon operates three flights per week between Hong Kong and Malaysia.”
As of 7pm on May 14, 4,349,075 Covid-19 cases have been recorded worldwide, with a total of 297,207 deaths and 1,548,375 recovered cases.
So far, Macau has recorded 45 cases of Covid-19 and no deaths, while Malaysia reported a total of 6,819 cases, with 112 deaths and 5,351 recovered cases as of yesterday.
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