PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 — Wisma Putra has advised Malaysians intending to travel to areas affected by the bushfires in Australia to defer non-essential travel for the time being until the situation improves.

In a statement today, the foreign ministry said this follows the seven-day state of emergency declared by the authorities of New South Wales effective January 3 following the bushfires affecting many areas in Australia, especially in the east coast of the country.

Apart from New South Wales, other badly-affected areas include the state of Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Wisma Putra also advised Malaysians in the affected areas to give utmost priority to the safety and security, and follow the instructions by the local and regional authorities.

Malaysians requiring consular assistance may contact the High Commission of Malaysia in Canberra, the Consulate General of Malaysia in Melbourne, or the Consulate of Malaysia in Sydney as per the following contact details:

High Commission of Malaysia in Canberra

7 Perth Avenue Yarralumla ACT 2600 Canberra, Australia

Telephone: +612 61200300 / 310 or +614 16334901

E-mail: mwcanberra@kln.gov.my

Consulate General of Malaysia in Melbourne

Level 1, No. 432 St Kilda Road Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia

Telephone: +613 9573 5400 or +61 434 950 600

Email: mwmelbourne@kln.gov.my

Consulate of Malaysia in Sydney

67 Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill, NSW 2023 Sydney, Australia

Telephone: +61 02 9327 7596 or +61 02 9327 7565

Email: contact@ema.org.au — Bernama