Malaysia will continue to help its Muslim brothers

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to help its Muslim brothers in Palestine and Myanmar, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

However, he said, Muslims in Malaysia, as well as worldwide, should unite to end the suffering and oppression against their brothers in the two countries.

“May Allah unite our hearts and continuously shower us blessings of peace and stability on Malaysian soil, so that we can continue to use our influence as a model Islamic country to defend Muslims who are oppressed, wherever in the world, InsyaAllah,” he said in his blog www.najibrazak.com, yesterday.

The prime minister said throughout 2017, Malaysia continued to be blessed by Allah, remained prosperous, peaceful and harmonious, as well as continued to be a model Islamic country that was influential and vocal in defending Islam and Muslims worldwide.

On the Jerusalem issue, he said Malaysia strongly condemned and would never agree with efforts by the United States to recognise it as the capital of Israel.

“I have stressed this matter repeatedly, at the Umno general assembly, the extraordinary summit of the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation) in Istanbul and also at the Solidarity Rally: Save Jerusalem,” he said.

Apart from that, Najib said the suffering and oppression facing the Rohingya in Myanmar also touched the hearts of Muslims in the country and Malaysia strongly criticised and had brought the issue not only at the ASEAN level, but also globally.

He said Malaysia continued to provide aid to ease the suffering of the Rohingya ethnic, apart from opening its doors for them to share the peace and stability enjoyed by Malaysians in the country, as well as sending aid to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

“In February 2017, Malaysia, through a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Yayasan Ikhlas sent a financial aid of RM172,500 though a Bangladeshi NGO for Rohingya refugees staying at the Kutupalong and Balukhali refugee camps in Bangladesh.

“Subsequently, in September 2017, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi coordinated sending of humanitarian aid, worth RM4 million, comprising goods and equipment, also for the Rohingya refugees in the border of Bangladesh,” he said.

Najib said 12 tonnes of food aid and essential items, such as disposable napkins, towel, rice and biscuits were sent to the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh through the humanitarian aid mission by the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Prime Minister’s office and iM4U voluntary organisation.

He said the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation (MAPIM) and several Islamic organisations from Malaysia also sent aid, in the form of food and medicine, worth RM200,000, to 140,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Apart from that, he said, the Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) also opened a mobile clinic at the Rohingya refugee settlement at Thangkhali and Kutupalong camps, and also provided food aid. “Besides the sending of humanitarian aid, the government also set up a Field Hospital, costing RM3.5 million, which has 50 beds and can accommodate 150 patients at one single time, as well as equipped with surgery room, X-Ray room and special room for mothers and children at the Rohingya refugee camp at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. - Bernama