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.
The ongoing genocide in Gaza has reportedly 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 the government can and should do more to help Palestinian refugees.
It is therefore disheartening to see the negative reactions by some Malaysians on 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.
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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.
Endorsed by:
Civil society organisations
- Martabat Untuk Semua, Petaling Jaya (Martabat PJ)
- Bersih
- Gerakan Belia Sepunjabi Malaysia (GBSM)
- Pertubuhan Daya Masyarakat Malaysia (Daya)
- Iqlas Care Malaysia
- Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim)
- Pusat Komas
- The Instant Cafe Theatre Company
- Speak Up Malaysia
- Empower
- Malaysian Institute for Debate & Public Speaking (MIDP)
- Al-Ikhlas Hope Society
- AA
- Empathy For Youth Academy (EYA)
- Lawyer Kamek, Sarawak
- Refugee Network Center Malaysia (RNC)
- Kami Anggota Kaukus Parlimen Untuk Palestine
- Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF)
- Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim)
- Persatuan Sahabat Wanita (PSW)
- Ohmsi Sdn Bhd
- Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia
- Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ)
- Allied Coordinating Council of Islamic NGOs Malaysia (Accin)
- Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM)
- Mandiri
- G25 Malaysia
- Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
- For A Better Nation (Fabian)
- Pertubuhan Kebajikan Dan Pembangunan Masyarakat Sabah (PKPM Sabah)
- Liga Rakyat Demokratik (LRD)
- Hayat
- Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
- KYS
- Malaysian Women’s Action for Tobacco Control and Health (MyWatch)
- BDS Malaysia
- Rehak
- Greenpeace Malaysia
- Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA)
- Malaysian Council of Child Welfare
- End CSEC Network Malaysia
- Aliran
- Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas)
- Sisters in Islam
- Persatuan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (Gerak)
Individuals
- Jay Jay Denis
- Maria Chin Abdullah
- Marina Mahathir
- Masjaliza Hamzah
- Ambiga Sreenevasan
- Nik Elin Zurina bt Nik Abdul Rashid
- Norman Goh
- Chua Tian Chang (Tian Chua)
- Dr Faisal Tehrani (Mohd Faizal Musa)
- Zainah Anwar
- Sivarasa Rasiah
- Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi
- Norani Mansor
- Ivy Josiah
- Animah Kosai
- S Munirah Alatas
- Emellia Shariff
- Muslin Abdul Hamid
- Jo Kukathas
- Selve Sugumaran
- Cathy Chin
- Jacqueline Ann Surin
- Deborah Augustin
- tan beng hui
- Muhammad Hisyamuddin bin Sharin
- Elizabeth Chrisostom
- JP Lee
- Nasriyah Abdul Rahman
- Shahida Sahlan
- Sharada Rudralingam
- Mrs Rohaime
- Md Rafi Abd Rahman
- Suhaimi Hamad
- Ruhana Hashim
- Jayanath Appudurai
- Dharshini Ganeson
- Harizah Hatim
- Fauziah Mohd Hasan
- Dennis Chua
- Dennis Chan
- Norliza Nordeen
- Nor Idayu Abdul Malek
- Wan Wai Meng
- Zaharina Wahab
- Ragunath Kesavan
- Nabila Rasidi
- Carrot Ho Chung Shin
- Catherine Leyow
- Abu Azeem
- Mohd Jamaludin Shamsudin
- Mustapha MA
- KJ John
- Firoza
- Loo Juosie
- Nadia Jalil
- SBJ Mike
- Chan Chee Khoon
- Zen Ng
- Ratna Osman
- Muhammad Lazri Gunasekera
- Noorasmah Mohamed Noordin
- Azlan Arshad
- Syarifah HN
- Mia Sara Shauki
- Azemi Maria bin Mohamad Yunus
- Hishamuddin Rais
- Azreen Manap
- Liza Ali
- Mandeep Singh
- Nur Syahirah Mohamad Daud
- Aisyah Rani
- Thai Chee Yoong
- Dr Muhd Fadhil Bin Nuruddin
- Laych Koh
- Datuk Yasmin Mahmood
- Aina Fitri
- Dobby Chew Chuan Yang
- Helen Brunt
- Rafidah Abdullah
- Dato Dr Jahizah Hassan
- V A Emuang
- Awang Nila Ismail
- Hoong Ling
- Lilianne Fan
- Abdul Halim MA Abunamous
- Nabilla Abdul Mohsein
- Normal Mat Jusoh
- Edward Soo
- Mohd Noor Mohd Ismail
- Hariza Anuar
- Danesh Prakash Chacko
- Liza Ramli
- Ahmad Fairuz
- Datuk Seri Ustaz Ahmad Awang
- Azira Aziz
- Rashidah Shuib
- Siti Waringin Oon
- Shariza Kamarudin
- Lai Wan Teng
- Mazidah Musa
- Zaireeni Azmi
- Suriani Kempe
- Nik Hanim Nik Mahmood
- Kelly Talha
- Faheem Puah
- Roshilawati Razlan
- Nada
- Alia Ahmad
- Tisha Zarina Zainal Abidin
- Zulaikha Kushairi
- Professor Ray Langenbach
- Anwar Jumabhoy
- Rozana Isa
- Dara Waheda Mohd Rufin
- Muhamad fahim othman
- David Soong
- Abdul Rauf
- Lily Airin Zainal Abidin
- Lara Alyssa Johan Chua
- Nicole-Ann Thomas
- Sushila Kukathas
- Joyce Oh
- Chuah Siew Eng
- Jac sm Kee
- Ruziha Osman
- Umapriya Supramaniam
- Nurashikin Ahmad
- Low Pey Sien
- Sabina Arokiam
- Abby Rahman
- Adam Ibrahim
Elected representatives and political parties
- Syahredzan Johan, Bangi MP
- Azli Yusof, Shah Alam MP
- Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Ledang MP
- Young Syefura Othman, Bentong MP
- Hassan Abdul Karim, Pasir Gudang MP
- Khalid Samad, Amanah communications director
- Parti Muda (international bureau)
- Amira Aisya Abd Aziz (Puteri Wangsa state assembly member)
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
