PUTRAJAYA: While Malaysia will continue to lend a helping hand to the people of Palestine, dispatching its armed forces to the area of conflict is not being considered for now, says the Prime Minister.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said there were groups that had raised the idea, insisting that the government send its armed forces to the Gaza Strip.
“Nobody expects us to do that, and I don’t think we should provoke this kind of discussion,” he said when witnessing the presentation of financial contributions to the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of Palestine here yesterday.
Anwar said what was more important was for Malaysia to work closely with Arab countries to ensure that humanitarian aid reached the Palestinians.
“Sending a battalion there is not that simple. There are so many things that need to be considered. So for now, we focus on extending humanitarian assistance,” he added.
Anwar advised the people to exercise caution when discussing the issue, as there must be a united stand for Malaysia when it comes to the issue of Palestine.
“We must not exploit this for political gain. There are people dying, and there is no food. In fact, there is no proper burial for many of those killed. What Malaysians should do is see how we can relieve their burden.”
He said Malaysia remained consistent in its position to support the just struggle of the Palestinian people.
“For now, there must be a cessation of attacks. We cannot allow the entire Gaza to be taken over and people chased out,” he added.
On Monday, Anwar told Parliament that sending troops overseas was not a “simple decision” for the government to take.
He had said Malaysia would make a collective decision with its allies and neighbours to do “whatever is necessary” to help the Palestinians in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Yesterday saw the fund receiving RM71mil from more than 40 companies and corporations, with Khazanah Nasional Bhd, together with government-linked companies, being the biggest contributor of RM15.5mil.
This brings the total aid from Malaysia to RM81mil.
During the tabling of Budget 2024, the government pledged RM10mil towards the fund.
Malaysian help, according to Anwar, is intended to provide food, medicine, and rebuild basic infrastructure.
“I am touched by the generosity of Malaysians. We must ensure that the financial assistance from Malaysia is used efficiently and responsibly,” he added.
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