FMT:
Comparing Penang to Palestine trivialises cruelty in Mid East, says group
BDS Malaysia says many politicians and policymakers appear to have only a superficial understanding of the Palestinian issue.
Palestinians lost their land by force, which is not the case for Malays in Penang, according to BDS Malaysia. (AP pic)
PETALING JAYA: A Palestinian support group has condemned drawing parallels between the land ownership of Malays in Penang and the long-standing conflict in the Middle East.
BDS Malaysia said such a comparison not only distorted historical facts but also undermined the suffering endured by the Palestinian people for so long.
“The statement is not only wrong historically, but s also hazardous because it trivialises the cruelty that has happened to the Palestinian people for more than seven decades and continues to this day,” the group told FMT.
The group said the Palestinian issue was distinctively different, characterised by “settler-colonialism”, with foreign settlers from Europe colonising Palestine.
This led to the displacement and persecution of the Palestinian people, including the killing of innocent civilians, destruction of homes and communities, and forced displacement.
“These refugees, who are now in the millions, are not allowed to return to this day.
“Palestinians lost their land by force, which is not the case in Penang now among the Malays,” it said.
The group said many politicians and policymakers appear to have just a superficial understanding of the issue of Palestine.
“Equating Palestine with the situation in Penang is the most glaring illustration of this point.
“Any attempt to equate the Palestinians’ plight with the Malays in Malaysia for political purposes is regrettable and should cease immediately,” it said.
PAS had recently claimed that Penang Malays were suffering from the same fate as the Palestinians as their land ownership had whittled down over the years due to the DAP-led administration — a comparison that led to brickbats, including by an academic.
Separately, Kamil Munim, a lawyer and political secretary to finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, said the Federal Constitution provides that no citizen can be stripped of their land through force.
He said the assumption made by PAS was wholly unacceptable.
PETALING JAYA: A Palestinian support group has condemned drawing parallels between the land ownership of Malays in Penang and the long-standing conflict in the Middle East.
BDS Malaysia said such a comparison not only distorted historical facts but also undermined the suffering endured by the Palestinian people for so long.
“The statement is not only wrong historically, but s also hazardous because it trivialises the cruelty that has happened to the Palestinian people for more than seven decades and continues to this day,” the group told FMT.
The group said the Palestinian issue was distinctively different, characterised by “settler-colonialism”, with foreign settlers from Europe colonising Palestine.
This led to the displacement and persecution of the Palestinian people, including the killing of innocent civilians, destruction of homes and communities, and forced displacement.
“These refugees, who are now in the millions, are not allowed to return to this day.
“Palestinians lost their land by force, which is not the case in Penang now among the Malays,” it said.
The group said many politicians and policymakers appear to have just a superficial understanding of the issue of Palestine.
“Equating Palestine with the situation in Penang is the most glaring illustration of this point.
“Any attempt to equate the Palestinians’ plight with the Malays in Malaysia for political purposes is regrettable and should cease immediately,” it said.
PAS had recently claimed that Penang Malays were suffering from the same fate as the Palestinians as their land ownership had whittled down over the years due to the DAP-led administration — a comparison that led to brickbats, including by an academic.
Separately, Kamil Munim, a lawyer and political secretary to finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, said the Federal Constitution provides that no citizen can be stripped of their land through force.
He said the assumption made by PAS was wholly unacceptable.
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kt comments:
Goes to show the local Lebais only pay lip service to their support for Palestinians when in reality they are aiding the cause of the Zionists.
As I mentioned in a previous post [Lebai's] mischievous attempt to mislead the people:
Both Israel and Malaysia have "apartheid" systems based on 'race', where the bizarre element is the majority is instead favoured. Yes, Lebais you mfer's are the Israelis, self-proclaiming to be as religious as those Yahudis, whilst Prof Rama and his Indians are the Malaysian "Palestinians", generally tolerated at best but usually marginalised and even abandoned.
Surprise? Think about it and bertaubat lah, wakakaka!
kt,
ReplyDeleteyou hit bulls eye when you said :
"The real "equivalency" is in fact Israelis equals Malaysian Malays whilst Palestinians equal Malaysian Nons, particularly the Indians (and Chinese to a lesser extent)."
101% with u on this!