Selangor assemblywomen don headscarves in solidarity

Selangor assemblywomen including the non-Muslims wore headscarves while attending today's State Assembly sitting, as a statement of solidarity for the victims of a mass shooting tragedy in Christchurch last Friday.

Among those seen wearing the scarf were Balakong assemblywoman Wong Siew Ki, Kuala Kubu Baharu assemblywoman Lee Kee Hiong, Subang Jaya assemblywoman Michelle Ng Mei Sze, Kampung Tunku assemblywoman Lim Yi Wei, and Bandar Utama assemblywoman Jamaliah Jamaluddin.

Wong said she felt a need to wear the scarf as a small show of support for the victims of the tragedy.

“In some cases, we could not do anything. But this is an initiative that we can make from afar as a sign of support for the families of the victims that they are not alone in this difficult time,” she said when contacted.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday confirmed that a Malaysian, Muhammad Haziq Mohd Tarmizi, 17, was among the 50 victims killed in the tragedy and his remains were buried at the Bromley Memorial Park Cemetery in Christchurch, yesterday.

His father, Mohd Tarmizi Shuib, 42, and two other Malaysians; Muhammad Nazril Hisham Omar and Rahimi Ahmad were injured when a gunman shot at the mosque-goers of Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque, in the incident.

Lee described wearing the scarf as a symbol of her concern for the tragedy.

“We condemn the cruelty and sympathise with the victims and the families involved. Our hearts are with them and this is how we manifest our solidarity for them,” she said.

Prior to this, a ‘headscarf for harmony’ movement had called for women throughout New Zealand to wear the headscarf today as a sign of solidarity to all victims of the tragedy.

-- Bernama