Some 7,000 Sarawak students in Peninsular Malaysia who have been stranded since the Movement Control Order (MCO) came into force on March 18 will be brought home in stages starting May 1, said Senior Minister (Infrastructure Cluster) Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof today.

He said the government is currently collecting detailed information on each student from the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, matriculation colleges, teacher training institutes and Mara colleges.

"The information is necessary to identify where they are studying and living and (the destination in Sarawak) they are returning to," he told the media after a special COVID-19 meeting with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba here.

He explained that the students will be divided into four zones according to their locations. Those in the East Coast (Terengganu and Kelantan) will set on their journey via Terengganu; the central zone (Pahang, parts of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka) via KLIA; the southern zone via Johor Bahru while the northern zone (Perlis, Kedah, Penang and parts of Perak) via Penang.

The Works Minister also said that upon arrival in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri, they will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

"I want the parents and students to note that they will not be sent home straight away, instead, they will be sent to quarantine centres to be screened once they arrive.

"Samples will be taken and tested. They will be quarantined while waiting for results. If the result is negative, then they will be sent home or probably they will be tested and made to undergo home quarantine," he said.

Fadillah said it is important for students returning to COVID-19 green zone areas such as Kapit to be completely free from the virus so as to not spread it to others.

"This is necessary to safeguard the children, families and communities in the green zone areas from the virus. This is what the Sarawak government hopes to achieve," he said.

--BERNAMA