It has been a year since Palestinians suffered the atrocities of Israeli military aggression, and here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians are being urged to reflect on themselves about their reactions to two refugees' outbursts in Wisma Transit.
Sekretariat Solidariti Palestin (SSP) spokesperson Nur Hafizah Shamsudin said the disturbance by two Palestinian women at the refugee transit after being denied permission to stay outside was understandable, considering the trauma they faced back home.
"She was facing severe stress, and we should be providing all of them with all the support they need, be it medical or psychological.
"They are here as our guests, and we should do right by them, particularly since they are victims of genocide. At the very least, they deserve grace,” she told Malaysiakini.
Yesterday, one of the Palestinians involved in the incident at Wisma Transit apologised for her behaviour and expressed regret for her actions.
Taking to TikTok, Aminah Muhammad Nafi’ Jamal Abd Rabah admitted that Palestinians have been treated well in Malaysia. However, she said she was grieving the deaths of three of her children and was distressed at not being able to contact her other children who are still in Gaza.
Don’t judge all Palestinians
Elaborating, Nur Hafizah said Malaysians who sparked irrational narratives such as urging people to stop boycotting should ask themselves why they stood in solidarity with the Palestinians in the first place.
"If your conscience doesn’t stop you from refraining from consuming products from enablers of genocide, then that’s on you.
"And it speaks loudly and clearly about how you feel with relation to Israel colonising and occupying land that isn’t theirs and their apartheid policies,” she said.
Echoing Nur Hafizah's sentiments, former PKR MP and SSP spokesperson Tian Chua urged Malaysians not to judge all Palestinians over a single incident, emphasising the need to acknowledge the trauma refugees endure in their homeland.
He highlighted that the lack of adequate educational resources was a factor that could be improved as part of the country's solidarity efforts.
The general perception of the Palestinian cause as solely a Muslim issue, he argued, undermined its broader humanitarian significance.
“So as a result, we see very shallow type of support when the incident involving the two Palestinian women happened,” he told Malaysiakini.
Previously, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the recent clash between several Palestinians and security personnel at Wisma Transit must be used as an excuse to send all Palestinians back home.
It did not make sense for the government to do so as their country is embroiled in war, he explained, urging Malaysians not to come to conclusions based on the incident and blame all Palestinians.
Malaysia not doing enough
Chua also noted that, despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts to rally support for the Palestinian cause, the Malaysian government's actions have not significantly impacted Tel Aviv in its campaign against Israel’s atrocities in Gaza.
He described the response as "falling short of delivering a real blow" to Israel or its key ally, the United States, due to the absence of a clear strategic plan or effective economic policies.
“We must have concrete action which utilises our economic strength we can't keep talking about national interest therefore we have to compromise with those backers of the genocide,” he said.
Malaysia has been a staunch proponent of championing the Palestinian cause led by Anwar himself as he has been vocal on both the local and international stage.
However, critics have questioned the government’s campaign and some have gone a step further and labelled it as mere performative to gain political mileage.
The most notable issue was brought up by Perikatan Nasional MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal who has been the main campaigner against the selling of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) shares to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
GIP was reportedly on the verge of being acquired by Blackrock for US$3 billion.
Blackrock has been accused of being a supporter of the Israeli regime because it owns shares in five arms manufacturers supplying weapons to the Israeli Defence Force.
As such, supporters of the Palestinian cause in the US targeted the company in a wave of boycotts and protests. - Mkini
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