WE, the undersigned organisations and individuals, are gravely concerned at the reactions by some members of the public to the decision by the Malaysian government to bring 127 Palestinian refugees to Malaysia for medical aid.
These refugees comprise 41 chronically ill patients and 86 of their immediate family members. They have gone through the horrors of the bombing and deprivation in Gaza and suffered through unimaginable trauma. Some also have severe physical injuries.
It has been reported that the ongoing genocide in Gaza has surpassed 40,000 deaths, with thousands more injured and displaced. As a responsible member of the international community, Malaysia has a moral and legal obligation to do all in its power and capacity to assist innocent civilians in conflict areas.
In fact, we feel that the government can and should do more to help Palestinian refugees.
It is therefore disheartening to see the negative reactions by some Malaysians to the decision by the government to provide some small reprieve from the ongoing genocide and destruction of their homes to these Palestinian refugees.
The Palestinians, who have been brought here, are only a small number compared to the ones still facing death and destruction in their homeland.
We urge all Malaysians to put aside their prejudices and to see this as what it is – a humanitarian issue.
There is a moral imperative that we must act with compassion towards our fellow human beings who suffer due to no fault of their own and who are in our country.
This transcends all our differences because it recognises the right of every human being to live in dignity and free from fear.
We also call upon the government to take steps to recognise the rights of ALL refugees who are here in the country, not just the Palestinians.
We stand by all people who have been displaced from their homelands by conflict. – August 22, 2024
Statement endorsed by:
Civil society organisations
1. Martabat Untuk Semua, Petaling Jaya (Martabat PJ)
2. Bersih
3. Gerakan Belia Sepunjabi Malaysia (GBSM)
4. Pertubuhan Daya Masyarakat Malaysia (Daya)
5. Iqlas Care Malaysia
6. Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim)
7. Pusat Komas
8. The Instant Cafe Theatre Company
9. Speak Up Malaysia
10. Empower
11. Malaysian Institute for Debate & Public Speaking (MIDP)
12. Al-Ikhlas Hope Society
13. AA
14. Empathy For Youth Academy (Eya)
15. Lawyer Kamek, Sarawak
16. Refugee Network Centre Malaysia (RNC)
17. Kami Anggota Kaukus Parlimen Untuk Palestine
18. Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
19. Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim)
20. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita (PSW)
21. Ohmsi Sdn Bhd
22. Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (Ikram)
23. Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
24. Allied Coordinating Council of Islamic NGOs Malaysia (Accin)
25. Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM)
26. Mandiri
27. G25 Malaysia
28. Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia)
29. For A Better Nation (Fabian)
30. Pertubuhan Kebajikan Dan Pembangunan Masyarakat Sabah (PKPM Sabah)
31. Liga Rakyat Demokratik (LRD)
32. Hayat
33. Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (Coac)
34. KYS
35. Malaysian Women’s Action for Tobacco Control and Health (MyWatch)
36. BDS Malaysia
37. Rehak
38. Greenpeace Malaysia
Individuals
39. Jay Jay Denis
40. Maria Chin Abdullah
41. Marina Mahathir
42. Masjaliza Hamzah
43. Ambiga Sreenevasan
44. Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid
45. Norman Goh
46. Chua Tian Chang (Tian Chua)
47. Dr Faisal Tehrani (Mohd Faizal Musa)
48. Zainah Anwar
49. Sivarasa Rasiah
50. Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
51. Norani Mansor
52. Ivy Josiah
53. Animah Kosai
54. S. Munirah Alatas, Ph.D.
55. Emellia Shariff
56. Muslin Abdul Hamid
57. Jo Kukathas
58. Selve Sugumaran
59. Cathy Chin
60. Jacqueline Ann Surin
61. Deborah Augustin
62. Tan Beng Hui
63. Muhammad Hisyamuddin Sharin
64. Elizabeth Chrisostom
65. J P Lee
66. Nasriyah Abdul Rahman
67. Shahida Sahlan
68. Sharada Rudralingam
69. Mrs Rohaime
70. Md Rafi Abd Rahman
71. Suhaimi Hamad
72. Ruhana Hashim
73. Jayanath Appudurai
74. Dharshini Ganeson
75. Harizah Hatim
76. Fauziah Mohd Hasan
77. Dennis Chua
78. Dennis Chan
79. Norliza Nordeen
80. Nor Idayu Abdul Malek
81. Wan Wai Meng
82. Zaharina Wahab
83. Ragunath Kesavan
84. Nabila Rasidi
85. Carrot Ho Chung Shin
86. Catherine Leyow
87. Abu Azeem
88. Mohd Jamaludin Shamsudin
89. Mustapha M A
90. KJ John
91. Firoza
92. Loo Juosie
93. Nadia Jalil
94. SBJ Mike
95. Chan Chee Khoon
96. Zen Ng
97. Ratna Osman
98. Muhammad Lazri Gunasekera
99. Noorasmah Mohamed Noordin
100. Azlan Arshad
101. Syarifah H N
102. Mia Sara Shauki
103. Azemi Maria Mohamad Yunus
104. Hishamuddin Rais
105. Azreen Manap
106. Liza Ali
107. Mandeep Singh
108. Nur Syahirah Mohamad Daud
109. Aisyah Rani
110. Thai Chee Yoong
111. Dr Muhd Fadhil Nuruddin
112. Laych Koh
113. Datuk Yasmin Mahmood
114. Aina Fitri
115. Dobby Chew Chuan Yang
116. Helen Brunt
117. Rafidah Abdullah
118. Dato Dr Jahizah Hassan
119. V A Emuang
120. Awang Nila Ismail
121. Hoong Ling
122. Lilianne Fan
123. Abdul Halim M. A. Abunamous
124. Nabilla Abdul Mohsein
125. Normal Mat Jusoh
126. Edward Soo
127. Mohd Noor Mohd Ismail
128. Hariza Anuar
129. Danesh Prakash Chacko
130. Liza Ramli
131. Ahmad Fairuz
132. Datuk Seri Ustaz Ahmad Awang
133. Azira Aziz
134. Rashidah Shuib
135. Siti Waringin Oon
136. Shariza Kamarudin
137. Lai Wan Teng
138. Mazidah Musa
139. Zaireeni Azmi
140. Suriani Kempe
141. Nik Hanim Nik Mahmood
142. Kelly Talha
143. Faheem Puah
144. Roshilawati Razlan
Elected representatives and political parties
145. Syahredzan Johan, Bangi MP
146. Azli Yusof, Shah Alam MP
147. Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Ledang MP
148. Young Syefura Othman, Bentong MP
149. Hassan Abdul Karim, Pasir Gudang MP
150. Hj Khalid Samad, Amanah communications director