SKUDAI: Malaysia is the first Asian country in the world to host injured Palestinians and this was due to the good cooperation between federal and state governments, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“This is the first country in Asia to do this and this was because the Cabinet and state government had a consensus on carrying out our responsibilities together.
“Second, this was also because we knew what the people wanted and with the support of the people, we were able to bring them in,” said Anwar during the closing ceremony of the three-day Southern Zone Madani Rakyat programme 2024 in Skudai, Johor, on Saturday (Aug 17).
Anwar also said he was disappointed over criticism against the government’s decision to host injured Palestinians here, where some leaders had questioned the need to treat foreigners in Malaysia.
The Prime Minister also added that there were village folks and even civil servants who subscribed to adverse views against the government’s initiative to treat injured Palestinians.
“The cruelty of the Zionist regime saw bombs destroying houses, killing women and children and most recently, a man was brutally raped by four men in an Israeli prison,” said Anwar, referring to an incident last week, where a CCTV footage on social media showed Israeli soldiers raping a prisoner.
“Then, we wanted to bring these injured Palestinians in for medical treatment, and we were criticised for that. Some even said I shouldn’t be the Malaysian Prime Minister.
“What kind of attitude is this? People are dying and being tortured, are we supposed to turn them away?” questioned Anwar.
Anwar noted that many countries had provided sanctuary to refugees fleeing war-torn areas and this time around, Malaysia is doing what it could as a country to assist Palestinian refugees.
“So, I hope you will open up your mind because this is the first country in Asia to do this,” added Anwar.
On Friday (Aug 16), a total of 127 Palestinians, including 41 who were injured, arrived in Malaysia in two Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) A400 aircraft from Cairo, Egypt, and arrived at the Subang Air Force base between 2pm and 2.30pm.
Commenting further, Anwar also said some leaders questioned why the Palestinians were flown in using RMAF aircrafts instead of commercial flights.
According to Anwar, one of the terms of negotiations with the Egyptian government was that a military aircraft must be used, due to security reasons.
“A military aircraft was used so that those who went there, are aware of the present risks, such as being hit by an Israeli guided missile or such.
“Commercial flights are not allowed and during negotiations, I had to also call Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi because this mission cannot happen without close cooperation with Egypt.
“I am grateful because our country is peaceful and with a bit of wealth, we can help those who are being tortured by the brutality of the Zionist Israel regime,” added Anwar.
Over 40,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the Gaza conflict began in October last year.
