KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians living in the Netherlands are staying indoors following protests over a curfew to curb Covid-19.
Mohd Yunus Moin, 43, who lives in The Hague, described the situation as bad.
He said there was a heavy police presence since riots broke out on Sunday.
It was reported that the riots started with youths torching a Covid-19 testing centre in the fishing village of Urk on Saturday.
Yunus said the situation in The Hague, however, was calmer now than on Sunday.
He said people could go out to buy food and groceries, although some stalls were closed. "(But) we are encouraged to buy everything online, including electronics, cosmetics and books," he told the New Straits Times.
He said the nighttime curfew was not a problem for his family, as they normally stayed at home during the period.
Yunus has been living in the country for seven years.
His wife, Halimatussaadiah Mat Som, is a programme officer at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established to oversee the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Yunus said the Malaysian embassy was monitoring the situation and was keeping in touch with Malaysians.
"They have been working hard to ensure our safety and using social media to keep us updated."
Ammar Muhammad, 32, said that unlike Amsterdam and Eindhoven, his area, Heerlen, was calmer. "However, I have seen an increased police presence."
Ammar, a senior mechanical design engineer at an automotive supplier company, has been living in the Netherlands for three years.
He said he had been working from home since April.
"Once in a while, I will go to the office for sample testing after booking a slot with the receptionist."
He praised the embassy for keeping in touch with Malaysians via a WhatsApp group.
On Wednesday, Malaysia's chargé d'affaires to the country, Dr Mohd Norhisyam Mohd Yusof, had urged Malaysians to stay vigilant and adhere to the Dutch government's rules following public disorder in cities to protest the nationwide curfew in the wake of Covid-19.
He said the embassy had been keeping in touch with Malaysians and was ready to offer help.
There are 988 Malaysians registered with the embassy, comprising those working there, students as well as embassy staff and their family members.
The Dutch government had imposed a night-time curfew from 9pm to 4.30am beginning Jan 23 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
