THE Consul-General for Malaysia in Kunming, Ayauf Bachi, said that according to the Sichuan provincial foreign affairs office, there were no reports of foreign casualties but the consulate would continue to check with the Malaysian community.

“We are hopeful that all Malaysians are safe. The consulate has also received enquiries from Malaysia seeking help to trace relatives. We managed to contact the local authorities this morning and they said no foreigners were injured or had died, and that relevant and emergency services are functioning,” he told Bernama.


The above is an Associated Press video posted on YouTube.

He said people have been asked to stay in open areas in case of more aftershocks, and that schools have been closed. The 7.8 magnitude quake, centred in Sichuan province, has toppled many buildings.

The Malaysian Association of Sichuan has received short messaging texts from over 20 Malaysians who said they were safe.

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"We want to

balik kampung

(return to Malaysia)

but no MAS plane”    

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The association has been in touch with the Malaysian consulate in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, south of Sichuan.

Association vice-chairman Kenny Lee told Bernama the committee members were calling fellow Malaysians, and that those contacted were in high spirits despite the danger.

He received an SMS reply from C.P. Lee, a Malaysian who has been working for a long time in Sichuan, which read: “Thank you sir, we want to balik kampung (return to Malaysia) but no MAS plane”.

Malaysia Airlines axed Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, from its list of destinations in China more than a year ago when the airline underwent a restructuring.

“Although we cannot be sure at this stage, we are very hopeful because most of the Malaysians who contacted us told us that they and other Malaysians they know are fine and they are not facing problems. That’s a good sign,” said Kenny Lee, who is the general manager of Singapore-owned United Overseas Bank in Chengdu.

Kenny Lee, whose family spent the night in their fifth-floor apartment, said most Malaysians live in newer buildings which were structurally stronger and able to withstand tremors, and that restaurants and supermarkets remained open.

“There is no problem with food and at my place. There is still water supply.

Many people who slept outdoors played poker and mahjong to while away the time,” he said, adding that he has prepared emergency kits with biscuits and milk powder for his family of three young children.

Two Malaysians working in Mianyang City and Mianzhu in a rural area, about 100km from Chengdu, have contacted him to say they are safe.

Mianyang City was badly hit by the quake, causing an estimated d
eath toll of over 3,000 and 10,000 injured in one of its counties.

Kenny Lee said about 100 Malaysians work with the Malaysian microchip maker, Unisem, which has a plant in Chengdu, and another group of about 10 Malaysians is with Sichuan Malaya Glass, a subsidiary of Malaya Glass Products.