Everyone has been recently informed about the military coup that had happened in Myanmar on the 1st of February 2021. The coup has resulted from the Aung San Suu Kyi’s party having a landslide win during the election held in November 2020. However, the military refused to accept their loss and claimed that the election was corrupt.
It also has been reported that unfortunately about 193 Malaysian oil rig workers who were stationed in a PETRONAS oil rig particularly in the Andaman Sea in Myanmar waters have been stranded there ever since the coup began.
According to a statement, the workers were supposed to be changed every 40 days. Because of the coup, the workers had to stay there because of issues with their visas and also the pandemic. The main form of transport for these workers is by helicopters but that has also been stopped ever since the coup began.
PETRONAS stated they are taking necessary action to ensure the safety of their contractors by ensuring that they have a continuous supply of food, essentials, and fuel. They stated that 38 workers have already been sent to hotels for rest while observing COVID-19 quarantine.
Following the order from the military there, Facebook has since been blocked by Internet providers on 4 February. Other than that, Twitter and Instagram have also been blocked starting from 6 February. This makes it hard for the Malaysians to communicate with the Malaysian workers there.
Sources: Petronas.