KUALA LUMPUR, March\u00a019\u00a0(NNN-BERNAMA) —\u00a0\u00a0Following the Malaysian government’s\u00a0decision to enforce\u00a0the Movement Control Order\u00a0to\u00a0curb the rise in COVID-19 cases, foreign embassies here have put\u00a0several measures in place to cope with the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The measures include working from home, reducing the number of staff on duty, and shortening the working hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are also keeping their communications channels opened to their citizens during this period and these include a 24-hour\u00a0hotline and\u00a0social media accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ambassador of Azerbaijan\u00a0to Malaysia\u00a0Prof Dr Qaley Allahverdiyev said in keeping with advice from the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, the embassy has implemented some restrictions, whereby it\u00a0will provide consular services for very urgent and time-sensitive situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said the embassy is offering\u00a0a 24-hour hotline service and uses\u00a0social to reach out to its citizens in Malaysia and three other Asean countries, namely Thailand, Myanmar and Brunei. The hotline number is +6017 2398943.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Malaysia,\u00a0Dr\u00a0Mohib Rahman Spingar, said its staff on duty at the embassy has been reduced to\u00a0two every four hours daily to handle various matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are currently about 700 Afghan students and business people in Malaysia, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the British High Commission in Malaysia, in a\u00a0statement, said it will remain operational during the\u00a0period of order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Understandably, it will not be business as usual as we have started a remote working arrangement for members of our staff in order to observe the movement control order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our priority is to make sure that British nationals in Malaysia are given the necessary consular support during this time, and to attend to their enquiries about the movement restriction,” it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a0The statement said British nationals who require consular services can contact 603-21702200 and it will be updating the Travel Advice (www.gov.uk\/foreign-travel-advice\/malaysia) as well as its\u00a0social media channels (@UKinMalaysia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cuba’s\u00a0Ambassador to Malaysia,\u00a0\u00a0Ibete\u00a0Fern\u00e1ndez Hernandez, said the\u00a0embassy was closed and\u00a0the\u00a0staff were working from home\u00a0and online consular services would be given whenever\u00a0possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are keeping contact with the small Cuban community here and all Cubans are fine. (We) hope the measures taken by the government help to control the spread of the virus,” she told Bernama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Colombia said that they are\u00a0observing all instructions given by the Malaysian government as well as the Colombian government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are attending to the local Colombian community via our virtual channels of communication that we have in place,” the embassy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Denmark to Malaysia Jesper Vahr said the embassy was maintaining a “24\/7 telephone contact possibility to our Embassy staff for Danish citizens in Malaysia needing assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“On top of that, Danish citizens abroad can always reach the Danish MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on a 24\/7 basis,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n