'We had to tie the stomach, eat dishes onions'

SEPANG - Ongoing efforts and swift action the government takes out of 67 Malaysian students from Aden, the most volatile areas in Yemen managed to save them from becoming victims of conflict and civil war in the country.

Luqmanulhakim Mohd Zulkifli, 16, said, only gratitude can be expressed after the mosque became havens all those who studied at Madrasah Ribat Al-Idrus destroyed bombed a few hours after being transferred.

He said the worsening situation forced them to make the mosque as a place of refuge and for three weeks they had to be there 'tighten their belts' and only takes a typical rice onions after food supplies are scarce.

"The situation is very tense in Aden outstanding and all students need to be in a state of readiness for any eventuality, including finding other protected areas.

"I think if the government is slow us out of there as possible when we are all gone," he said when met on arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here of Dubai, today.

Students majoring in Islamic Sharia is among 42 out of 67 Malaysians were taken out from Aden to Djibouti before being flown to Kuala Lumpur flight, Emirates Airlines.

The second group took another 25 students are expected to arrive at the airport of Colombo, Sri Lanka around 6pm.

Yesterday, all the students were taken by boat over 22 hours of Aden to Djibouti before being flown to Jeddah C130 Hercules plane belonging to the Armed Forces.

Mohd Luqmanulhakim said during a turbulent time in Aden tense situation where gunshots and explosions seemed to 'sound' familiar to those who have to avoid being in an open area to avoid untoward incidents.

Share the same experience, Ahmad Zaidi Abdullah, 16, said when the turbulence, the average local residents in their area of ​​study carry a firearm, but does not interfere with the school's students.

He said, along inhabit the mosque, he can clearly feel the concussion bomb before it really hit with shrapnel after security forces moved in.

The third child of seven children of Paka, Terengganu said things that bothered him most was the experience of a boat from Aden to Djibouti, Africa which takes 22 hours.

"Even though we had to huddle in a boat with a fishing boat that seemed about 200 other passengers who want to leave Aden, I think it's a worthwhile experience for us all safe from becoming victims of the conflict in Yemen", he said.

Another first-year student at the same school, Syed Hafiz Syed Mohd Alwi said the trip by boat, especially when going through waves at night is something painful.

He said the trip was supposed to take only 15 hours to be too long due to strong currents that prevent movement so had to use a different route than usual.

"The boat was large, but did not change as a fishing boat and we only eat only boiled potatoes along the way," he said.