KUALA LUMPUR: Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah (pix), Queen of Malaysia said Palestinians in Malaysia can find a safe environment and opportunities for a better future through education, even though some aspects of the conflict may seem insurmountable.
In a royal engagement session with Palestinian students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), the Queen said Malaysia can provide young people with the opportunity to receive education and reside in a safe environment.
“Even though we cannot offer extensive assistance since we are not world leaders and do not formulate policies, as Malaysians residing far from Palestine, we can provide young people like yourselves with the opportunity to pursue education and reside in a safe environment for yourselves, your families and your young children. At least here, we can ensure your safety, God willing.”
“As we know in Islam, knowledge is important, and for all of you to rebuild your country again, you will need knowledge. Those of you aspiring to become engineers, doctors, or any other profession, your dreams are possible and we offer you a safe place here in Malaysia, at UTM and UTHM, as well as in other universities across the country,“ said Her Majesty, who is also UTM chancellor, in a post uploaded on the Facebook page of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
Accompanying Her Majesty to the event were Che’ Puan Mahkota Khaleeda Johor who is also UTM pro-chancellor, as well as UTM vice-chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Fauzi Ismail.
The session was attended by 20 Palestinian students from both universities, each with their own stories of grief and sorrow stemming from the decades-long conflict in their home state.
Both representatives of the Palestinian communities in UTM (Dr Mohamad Darwish) and UTHM (Mohammed A. A. Mansour) shared their thoughts and stories of their experiences with the conflict, as well as expressed their appreciation for the Queen’s compassion and solidarity with Palestine. -Bernama
