16-8-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia has successfully brought 127 Palestinian citizens to its shores, including 41 individuals injured in the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. The group arrived safely at the Subang Air Force base on Friday afternoon, transported by two Royal Malaysia Air Force (RMAF) A400M aircraft from Cairo, Egypt.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin emphasised that this mission was undertaken on humanitarian grounds, demonstrating Malaysia’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and its firm stance against what it views as inhumane acts or genocide. The minister explained that after thorough checks and verification of their Palestinian identity and fitness to fly, 41 patients were identified for medical treatment in Malaysia. This group comprises 20 men and 21 women, ranging in age from eight months to 62 years.
Accompanying the patients were 86 family members, as many of those requiring medical attention were children and the elderly. The two RMAF aircraft completed the journey from Egypt to Malaysia in approximately 13 hours, with a transit stop in Karachi.
Ketibaan pesakit rakyat Palestin di Subang
Pesakit rakyat Palestin tiba di Pangkalan Udara TUDM Subang pada Jumaat, lapor jurukamera Azim Azmi.#SinarHarian #BeritaSemasa #60saat #Palestin pic.twitter.com/Qqn4IgHhBU
— SinarHarian (@SinarOnline) August 16, 2024
Upon arrival, all 41 patients underwent initial diagnosis at a field hospital set up at the Subang Airforce base. They were subsequently transferred to the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital in Wangsa Maju for further treatment, where three wards have been dedicated to their care.
Mohamed Khaled revealed that this mission had been in the planning stages for some time, requiring approval from the Egyptian government and consideration of various logistical challenges. He noted that Malaysia is the fifth country to successfully bring injured Palestinians for medical treatment, with six nations in total expressing their intention to do so.
The Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia, Walid Abu Ali, expressed profound gratitude towards the Malaysian government for its hospitality. He highlighted that Malaysia is the first Asian country to host injured Palestinians, praising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his commitment to this cause.
Egypt’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ragai Nasr, attributed the success of this mission to the strong relationship between the Malaysian Prime Minister and the Egyptian President. He pledged continued support from both the Egyptian government and himself in Malaysia’s efforts to assist Palestine.
This humanitarian mission follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement on August 4th, where he strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s actions against Palestinians. He declared Malaysia’s willingness to provide refuge to vulnerable Palestinians, particularly the wounded, women, and children.
The Prime Minister’s resolve was clear: “We will continue to provide humanitarian aid and support. We do not care about what the Western world expects from us and attempt to decide which nation we should have ties with or not,” he stated at a Free Palestine gathering.
