Stranded SIA stewardess can’t wait to leave Paris

PETALING JAYA — A Malaysian stewardess with Singapore Airlines is eager to leave Paris after experiencing a frightful night in Les Jardins du Marais hotel, just 500m from the Bataclan concert hall where over 80 people were gunned down on Friday (Nov 13).

Ms Liew Man Ling, 26, from Shah Alam was jolted from her sleep by the sounds of sirens and people screaming. Over 128 lives were lost after militants attacked six different areas in the French capital.

“The situation here looks chaotic. It looks just like a movie but it is real life. It was frightening,” said Ms Liew.

“I was suddenly woken up by the sounds of the commotion and screeching ambulances. I turned on the television and found out about the attacks.

“There is a feeling of fear. People don’t know what is going to happen next. I’m just glad to be safe,” she said.

The stewardess was instructed to stay indoors by the hotel reception as curfew had been imposed on the city.

She was supposed to fly back yesterday (Nov 14) but her flight was delayed as the French authorities have closed all the country’s entry points.

“I have been in touch with my family. They were very worried about my safety. The rest of my colleagues are safe.

“For now, we can only hope and pray for the safety of others and wait for the French government to announce when it will be safe to leave,” she said.

Ms Priya Thangaveloo, 35, a business development manager from Penang, lives just 2.6km from the Le Petit Cambodge restaurant where gunmen killed at least 14 customers. She said it was one of the restaurants she frequented.

“Fortunately, I was celebrating Deepavali at a friend’s place,” said the Malaysian who has been living in Paris for five years

Although shaken by the drama that unfolded in a city which she described “as one of the safest in the world”, Ms Priya is confident that normalcy will return to Paris.

“I have lived in several countries and I have never feared walking alone in Paris even in the wee hours of the morning.”

“This is the second time this year. I hope justice prevails. Someone has got to put a stop to this,” she said.

“The city is in chaos and there is a curfew. I’m terribly devastated and saddened by this massacre of young and innocent people,” she said.

Malaysian couple Low Oon Jin, 50, and his wife Pauline Tan, 35, who are holidaying in Paris said they knew about the attacks after receiving messages from their families.

They arrived in Paris on Friday and stayed at the Hotel Paxton. “We went back to the hotel at 8.20pm local time.

“We received messages from Malaysia and that’s when we first heard about it. I switched on the TV and saw the carnage and the after-effects of the explosions,” said Mr Low, an architect.

Mr Low, however, said he would not cut short his holiday.

“We will be visiting tourist sites outside of Paris for now. My main concern is we are supposed to leave for Belgium tomorrow, but no one can tell us when the borders will open,” he said. THE MALAY MAIL ONLINE