KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s commitment to bringing 41 injured Palestinians, accompanied by their families, to receive treatment in Malaysia should not be questioned by any party, as it is done on humanitarian grounds, say non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Humanitarian Care Malaysia Berhad (MyCARE) chief executive officer Kamarul Zaman Shaharul Anwar said Malaysia’s initiative was indeed necessary based on humanity.
“This is more of a humanitarian issue, not a religious one. If you think about it, these people have no country, ‘they have no other means’ to get assistance, especially for health, to return to a normal life.
“Malaysia, as a nation, should help on the basis of humanity. There are no other institutions that can assist them. The world now seems unable to do anything about the mass killings and other atrocities. So, what is wrong with Malaysia helping with the resources it has?” he told Bernama.
He added that although the government’s efforts might seem small, they had indirectly opened the world’s eyes to the hardships endured by the Palestinian people.
“In Malaysia, no matter how difficult things get, our people have access to various forms of assistance from the government, NGOs, and religious councils, whether Islamic, Christian, or others. The Palestinians have nothing.
“If there are groups who want the government to focus on Malaysian citizens, the assistance is already there. So, this is a small effort that we can do to show the world, we are trying to educate the world community that something has got to be done to support and assist (the Palestinians),“ he said.
He added that there was no issue of the Palestinians brought to Malaysia not wanting to return to their homeland, as they had a strong desire to liberate their country from Zionist oppression.
His views were echoed by Cinta Gaza Malaysia chief executive officer Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman, who said this was not an issue of the government evacuating Palestinians from the land they should be defending.
“That argument is unfounded since our brothers and sisters there are in desperate need of help. There is no issue of us taking Palestinians away from the land they should be defending because the people we are helping are already in Egypt, and they are injured people who cannot do anything.
“Secondly, what the government is doing is a sign of our compassion and humanity, which should elevate our country’s standing. It is also a form of ‘soft diplomacy,‘ which is diplomacy through humanitarianism,“ he said.
Last week, the government brought 41 patients and 81 family members, all Palestinians, to Malaysia to receive follow-up treatment for injuries sustained due to the Zionist regime’s brutality.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Cultural Organisation Malaysia (PCOM) chairman Bader Syam said the purpose of bringing Palestinians to Malaysia was purely for medical treatment and not for any other purpose, such as permanent settlement.
“We are people who are loyal to our homeland and strive and fight to return and liberate Palestine from Zionist occupation,“ he said, adding that the presence of Palestinians in Malaysia was temporary.
He expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of the Palestinian people, who have endured tremendous suffering yet continue to persevere.
