M'sians review Hong Kong trip plans

PETALING JAYA: As the anti-extradition Bill mass protests in Hong Kong reached the ninth week of unrest, some Malaysians planning to holiday there are forced to review their plans.

Financial adviser Grace Lai, 24, planned her Hong Kong trip two months ago but is now forced to cancel her flight, which she booked with a budget airline.

Lai said she decided to cancel her plan after learning that the situation there was unsafe for travel.

"I planned to go there for a fourday vacation but soon after knowing about the protests, I made a decision to cancel the trip," she said when contacted yesterday.

Meanwhile, content writer Benedict Tan, 25, will still continue with his planned trip to Hong Kong but has taken extra precautions to ensure his safety.

"I'll be more careful when I travel. I'm following the news closely.

"But I believe the people (protesters) will get tired and want to spend the weekend resting," said Tan, who is leaving for Hong Kong this Saturday.

He said he was not really affected by the current development in Hong Kong and decided to continue with his planned trip.

"I decided to continue my a weeklong trip there as I've already planned since last month," he added.

Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agent (MATTA) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang urged holidaymakers to defer travelling plans to Hong Kong except for essential travel in light of latest developments.

"We need to be cautious. Why look for trouble when we can avoid it?" he said.

The Consular-General of Malaysia in Hong Kong and Macau has cautioned Malaysians in Hong Kong to be aware of their surroundings, monitor developments on local news and comply with the relevant announcements by local authorities.

"If you find yourself in a public demonstration, you are advised to leave the affected area," it said in a statement.

Malaysians can also follow the Hong Kong Police Force's Facebook and Twitter social media accounts for updates from the local authorities and also follow the updates on special traffic arrangements at https://www.td.gov.hk/en/special_news/spnews.htm

Malaysians who require consular assistance can contact the ConsulateGeneral of Malaysia at +852 2821 0800 / mwhongkong@kln.gov.my (or +852 6900 6390 (WhatsApp / WeChat), after office hours).

Meanwhile, the transport network in Hong Kong gradually returned to normal yesterday morning after mass protests on Monday saw major mass transit railway (MTR) lines paralysed, some major highways blocked and hundreds of flights at Hong Kong International Airport cancelled.

Malaysia Airlines Bhd confirmed that there were no disruptions to its Hong Kong flights yesterday while Air Asia did not put out any notice of flight delays or cancellations to and from the city.