PUTRAJAYA: The unity government wants groups with working experience in Palestine to join a special coordinating committee to rebuild Gaza, says Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar (pic).
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the involvement of all parties in the body was vital to fulfil Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s hope that Malaysia plays an important role in helping Palestinians rebuild.
“Together we pray that Malaysia plays a role, specifically in the context of working with the Japanese government to help our friends who have been oppressed by the Israeli Zionist regime succeed,” he told reporters after attending the Zikir Akbar Madani programme in conjunction with the eve of the 2025 Federal Territories Day celebration.
He said the committee would hold its first meeting on Feb 6 and it will be coordinated by Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) director-general Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee.
The Foreign Ministry has said that Malaysia will work alongside Japan under the framework of the Conference on Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (Ceapad) to rebuild and assist Palestinians after the latest Israeli invasion killed 47,000 people and destroyed most of Gaza.
On another matter, Naim said all political leaders and members must be cautious when making statements about religion to avoid touching on sensitivities.
He said mutual respect should be upheld in Malaysia’s multiracial and multireligious society.
“Religious sensitivities must always be emphasised because we do not want statements that could lead to misunderstandings. My advice is to always be mindful of the statements we make.”
He was commenting on a reminder issued by Umno’s Ulama Council to non-Muslim ministers urging them to be more cautious when commenting on matters related to Islam and the Muslim community.
This year’s Federal Territories celebration is particularly meaningful as it coincides with the arrival of Syaaban, a significant month in Islam that holds deep spiritual meaning and serves as a time to prepare for Ramadan.
