THE Government has approved a contingency plan to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East should the regional conflict intensify, although the government says the situation has not yet reached a point requiring such action.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the Cabinet had endorsed the evacuation framework to ensure the authorities could respond quickly if conditions deteriorate, but stressed that current assessments indicate the situation remains manageable.
"We monitor the situation in the region daily and sometimes up to three times a day and there is no indication that we need to evacuate Malaysians from there," he told reporters after opening a Khatam Al-Quran event at the NSWO hall today.
"In fact, some countries have already reopened their airspace allowing commercial airlines to send people stranded at their airports to return to their countries," he added.
According to Mohamad, Malaysian diplomatic missions across the region, together with the operations room at Wisma Putra, are operating around the clock to assist citizens and provide updates.
He said approximately 31,000 Malaysians are currently living across several Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The government’s immediate focus is to assist around 2,300 Malaysians who have been stranded due to recent disruptions to regional air travel, including pilgrims returning from Mecca as well as travellers caught in transit.
"Our priority now is to bring home about 2,300 Malaysians stranded there including those who had gone to perform their pilgrimage in Mecca and those on transit," he said.
Mohamad also advised Malaysians planning to travel to the region, particularly for religious pilgrimage, to postpone their trips until the situation stabilises.
"We are also advising those who wish to go perform their umrah for example to defer their plans for now as the situation is fluid and anything can happen at any time," he said.
"On our part, we will be issuing daily updates so that Malaysians know if the situation there was really safe."
Several airlines have begun restoring services to help repatriate stranded passengers, including Malaysian carriers and Middle Eastern airlines such as Qatar Airways and Emirates.
Mohamad said Emirates, which typically operates three flights daily to Kuala Lumpur, has resumed limited operations with one flight per day for the time being.
"Our focus is to bring back those stranded after Saudi Arabia, for example, closed its airspace for several days causing many pilgrims to be stuck," he said.
He added that some Malaysians travelling between major international cities such as Paris, London and New York were stranded in transit hubs including Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain after flight disruptions.
"We also have Malaysians who were on transit in the Middle East from Paris, London and New York for example and who have been stuck in airports such as Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and need to be brought back home," he said.
Authorities are also exploring alternative arrangements to facilitate their return. Mohamad said Malaysians stranded in Bahrain could potentially be transported by road to Muscat in Oman or to Saudi cities such as Jeddah or Riyadh, where flights back to Malaysia could be arranged.
At the same time, he urged Malaysians residing in the region to remain vigilant and avoid areas considered potential military targets.
"Our missions in some countries including Malaysians living in countries like Qatar and UAE have been telling us the situation is okay but they need to avoid such places," he said, referring to military installations reportedly being targeted in the conflict.
"It is my hope that Malaysians here will remain calm and not necessarily be taken in by what they see and hear."
Mohamad also encouraged Malaysians in the Middle East to register with their respective diplomatic missions and keep authorities informed of their travel movements.
He added that those who manage to leave the region should notify the missions to confirm their safe departure. - March 7, 2026
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