KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 ― Twenty Malaysian tabligh members in New Delhi and Mumbai arrived home safely at 3.40 pm yesterday, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar.

He said they were the fifth group to return, and so far, the ministry had brought back 144 of 189 members of the group stranded in India.

Kamarudin said the remaining members in India were undergoing the legal process in several provinces, namely, New Delhi, Bihar, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

"The ministry will continue to monitor the issue closely, and provide appropriate consular assistance to ensure their rights and welfare are protected.

"The ministry will continue to coordinate with local authorities in India to bring home the remaining 45 Malaysian tabligh members who are still stranded in the country,” he said in a statement here today.

He said 124 individuals were previously repatriated through four Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions only July 18, 22, 29 and Aug 26. ― Bernama