theVibes.com:
Sarawak in no position to play ‘hero’ to Palestinian refugees, says group
Native rights body says accepting those uprooted from Gaza could lead to permanent threat to state locals
Scrips secretary general Michael Jok says that the scale of the Palestinian refugee crisis is way beyond the capability of the state government or the federal government to deal with. – Pixabay pic, November 15, 2023
THE Sarawak state government and Putrajaya must not try to play “hero” in the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis by offering Sarawak as a destination for those Palestinians uprooted by the Gaza-Israel war.
The Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) said trying to be a hero in a humanitarian crisis that is beyond the scope of locals here to handle would turn out to be a very foolish mistake that will be permanent in nature.
Its secretary general Michael Jok told The Vibes that the scale of the Palestinian refugee crisis is way beyond the capability of the state government or the federal government to deal with.
“If we look at the situation now, Sarawak is in no shape to handle a mass influx of refugees, let alone war refugees from very volatile and violent religious-political settings such as the Middle East.
“Sarawak has tens of thousands of poverty-stricken locals that the state government has not even managed to help.
“How can Sarawak offer itself as a refugee centre for the Palestinians?” he said.
“Be wise from the start, don’t be so foolish to take a hero’s role and end up having to deal with a problem that can turn into a permanent socio-political-religious threat to Sarawakians.”
He stressed that once Palestinian refugees are taken in, it would be almost impossible to transfer them out of Sarawak again without there being a humanitarian controversy.
“Sarawak, and even Malaysia, does not have the expertise or experience to deal with refugees en masse,” he said.
Jok said even states like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis that are very Muslim-majority in nature have not volunteered to be refugee centres for those uprooted in Gaza.
If there are state or federal government leaders thinking they can just welcome the masses of Palestinian refugees with open arms, they must ponder if they can meet the needs of these refugees on aspects of food, housing, employment, health, education and all the other needs that will crop up.
“The Palestinian refugee crisis is too big for Sarawak or Malaysia to handle,” Jok said.
“No matter how much we sympathise with them, we can only offer aid contributions and our prayers, but we cannot take them in by the thousands,” he stressed.
Yesterday, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen, who is the Stampin MP, said the Sarawak government must take a clear stance on whether it is going to allow Palestinian refugees from war-torn Gaza to take refuge in this state.
The state government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) must clear the air to calm jittery nerves as the public at large wants a clear answer from the state government, not just an opinion from GPS secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who is federal works minister.
“We DAP support the statement made by Nanta that we in Sarawak must not open the door to these refugees.
“Even though we sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians, accepting them into Sarawak will result in clashes of ideologies and culture and this will disrupt the existing harmony we are enjoying in Sarawak.
Nanta had said that he personally supports the stance of non-governmental bodies in Sarawak and Sabah which are against accepting the Palestinians from war-torn Gaza into the two Borneo states.
The MP for Kapit in central Sarawak did not say he was speaking on behalf of the state government. – The Vibes, November 15, 2023
THE Sarawak state government and Putrajaya must not try to play “hero” in the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis by offering Sarawak as a destination for those Palestinians uprooted by the Gaza-Israel war.
The Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips) said trying to be a hero in a humanitarian crisis that is beyond the scope of locals here to handle would turn out to be a very foolish mistake that will be permanent in nature.
Its secretary general Michael Jok told The Vibes that the scale of the Palestinian refugee crisis is way beyond the capability of the state government or the federal government to deal with.
“If we look at the situation now, Sarawak is in no shape to handle a mass influx of refugees, let alone war refugees from very volatile and violent religious-political settings such as the Middle East.
“Sarawak has tens of thousands of poverty-stricken locals that the state government has not even managed to help.
“How can Sarawak offer itself as a refugee centre for the Palestinians?” he said.
“Be wise from the start, don’t be so foolish to take a hero’s role and end up having to deal with a problem that can turn into a permanent socio-political-religious threat to Sarawakians.”
He stressed that once Palestinian refugees are taken in, it would be almost impossible to transfer them out of Sarawak again without there being a humanitarian controversy.
“Sarawak, and even Malaysia, does not have the expertise or experience to deal with refugees en masse,” he said.
Jok said even states like Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis that are very Muslim-majority in nature have not volunteered to be refugee centres for those uprooted in Gaza.
If there are state or federal government leaders thinking they can just welcome the masses of Palestinian refugees with open arms, they must ponder if they can meet the needs of these refugees on aspects of food, housing, employment, health, education and all the other needs that will crop up.
“The Palestinian refugee crisis is too big for Sarawak or Malaysia to handle,” Jok said.
“No matter how much we sympathise with them, we can only offer aid contributions and our prayers, but we cannot take them in by the thousands,” he stressed.
Yesterday, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen, who is the Stampin MP, said the Sarawak government must take a clear stance on whether it is going to allow Palestinian refugees from war-torn Gaza to take refuge in this state.
The state government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) must clear the air to calm jittery nerves as the public at large wants a clear answer from the state government, not just an opinion from GPS secretary-general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who is federal works minister.
“We DAP support the statement made by Nanta that we in Sarawak must not open the door to these refugees.
“Even though we sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians, accepting them into Sarawak will result in clashes of ideologies and culture and this will disrupt the existing harmony we are enjoying in Sarawak.
Nanta had said that he personally supports the stance of non-governmental bodies in Sarawak and Sabah which are against accepting the Palestinians from war-torn Gaza into the two Borneo states.
The MP for Kapit in central Sarawak did not say he was speaking on behalf of the state government. – The Vibes, November 15, 2023
***
theVibes.com:
Are Palestinian refugees coming? Clear the air, Sarawak govt told
State DAP chairman voices concerns about ideological clashes
Chong Chien Jen, who is also Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman and Stampin MP, says it is important for the state government to make a public decision in this regard and to announce it to the people without delay. – Bernama pic, November 14, 2023
THE Sarawak state government must give a clear stance on the question of allowing Palestinian refugees to take refuge in the state.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen, in making the above assertion, said: “The state government must make its position very clear on whether it is going to adopt the views expressed by Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi: that no Palestinian refugees should be allowed into Sarawak.”
“Even though we sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians, accepting them into Sarawak will result in clashes of ideologies and culture, and this will disrupt the existing harmony we enjoy in Sarawak.
“The state government must make it very clear that it will not open the state to the influx of these refugees,” he said in a statement today.
Chong, who is also Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman and Stampin MP, said it is important for the state government to make a public decision in this regard and to announce it to the people without delay.
Yesterday, Nanta said that he personally supports the stance of non-governmental bodies in Sarawak and Sabah who are against accepting Palestinians into the two Borneo states.
However, the Kapit MP did not specify that he was speaking on behalf of the Sarawak government.
He echoed the taken by the Sarawak Association for Peoples’ Aspiration (Sapa) and others cautioning the state government over the matter.
Today, Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh had reportedly demanded Nanta to issue an open apology and retract his statement on rejecting the idea of accepting Palestinian refugees to the state.
Protect immigration autonomy
Sapa information chief Peter John Jaban has expressed concern over the possible entry of “Hamas followers” among the asylum seekers.
“This issue is pressing for Sarawak, which was also recently identified as one of the poorest states in the country,” he said.
According to Dayak Daily, Peter called on the state to guard its immigration autonomy carefully and for Sarawak not to follow the federal administration blindly.
“If their Arab neighbours continue to deny them asylum, then what business does Malaysia have in going against global policy?” he said.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation president, Daniel John Jambun meanwhile said Sabah already has irregular migrants from neighbouring countries staying without documentation in 543 colonies spread throughout the state.
Sapa’s views were supported by 12 NGOs from Sabah and Sarawak.
These include Gabungan Orang Asal Sabah/Sarawak; Independent Coalition of Natives Sarawak; Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo; Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rumpun Dayak Sabah; Persatuan Pembangunan Social Komuniti Sabah; Persatuan Etnik Dayak Asal Sarawak; Gerempung Raban Dayak Sarawak; Persatuan Veteran Tentera Kor Renjer; Persatuan Komuniti Bersatu Kanibongang Pitas; Forum Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi Borneo; Human Rights Activist Sabah; and Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand.
Policies for refugees
Meanwhile, a bipartisan MP group had earlier urged the government to issue a special pass for Palestinian refugees in Malaysia that will enable them to stay and work in the country temporarily.
Syerleena Abdul Rashid, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Refugee Policy, stressed the need to urgently “formulate policies that protect those who have sought temporary refuge on our shores, including those from Palestine”.
“We call for an immediate ceasefire, the urgent protection of civilians, the facilitation of unimpeded humanitarian aid, and the prevention of full-scale genocide in Gaza.
“(The government should also) start the implementation of the amended National Security Council Directive No. 23, which will grant temporary rights to refugees in Malaysia,” said the Bukit Bendera MP in a statement last month.
Currently, Malaysia is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.
There are some 600 Palestinian refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN High Commissioner For Refugees here as of end-October, said the body.
Over 11,000 killed
Israeli airstrikes have killed 11,078 Palestinians in Gaza as of November 10, a UN relief body confirmed.
The Gaza Health Ministry has not updated the death toll since yesterday after the collapse of services and communications at hospitals in the north, it added.
Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al Qidra was quoted as saying that at least 32 patients at the al-Shifa Hospital have died over the past three days, including three premature babies, Al Jazeera reported yesterday.
THE Sarawak state government must give a clear stance on the question of allowing Palestinian refugees to take refuge in the state.
Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chien Jen, in making the above assertion, said: “The state government must make its position very clear on whether it is going to adopt the views expressed by Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi: that no Palestinian refugees should be allowed into Sarawak.”
“Even though we sympathise with the plight of the Palestinians, accepting them into Sarawak will result in clashes of ideologies and culture, and this will disrupt the existing harmony we enjoy in Sarawak.
“The state government must make it very clear that it will not open the state to the influx of these refugees,” he said in a statement today.
Chong, who is also Sarawak Pakatan Harapan chairman and Stampin MP, said it is important for the state government to make a public decision in this regard and to announce it to the people without delay.
Yesterday, Nanta said that he personally supports the stance of non-governmental bodies in Sarawak and Sabah who are against accepting Palestinians into the two Borneo states.
However, the Kapit MP did not specify that he was speaking on behalf of the Sarawak government.
He echoed the taken by the Sarawak Association for Peoples’ Aspiration (Sapa) and others cautioning the state government over the matter.
Today, Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh had reportedly demanded Nanta to issue an open apology and retract his statement on rejecting the idea of accepting Palestinian refugees to the state.
Protect immigration autonomy
Sapa information chief Peter John Jaban has expressed concern over the possible entry of “Hamas followers” among the asylum seekers.
“This issue is pressing for Sarawak, which was also recently identified as one of the poorest states in the country,” he said.
According to Dayak Daily, Peter called on the state to guard its immigration autonomy carefully and for Sarawak not to follow the federal administration blindly.
“If their Arab neighbours continue to deny them asylum, then what business does Malaysia have in going against global policy?” he said.
Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation president, Daniel John Jambun meanwhile said Sabah already has irregular migrants from neighbouring countries staying without documentation in 543 colonies spread throughout the state.
Sapa’s views were supported by 12 NGOs from Sabah and Sarawak.
These include Gabungan Orang Asal Sabah/Sarawak; Independent Coalition of Natives Sarawak; Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo; Pertubuhan Kebajikan Rumpun Dayak Sabah; Persatuan Pembangunan Social Komuniti Sabah; Persatuan Etnik Dayak Asal Sarawak; Gerempung Raban Dayak Sarawak; Persatuan Veteran Tentera Kor Renjer; Persatuan Komuniti Bersatu Kanibongang Pitas; Forum Masyarakat Adat Dataran Tinggi Borneo; Human Rights Activist Sabah; and Sabah Sarawak Rights Australia New Zealand.
Policies for refugees
Meanwhile, a bipartisan MP group had earlier urged the government to issue a special pass for Palestinian refugees in Malaysia that will enable them to stay and work in the country temporarily.
Syerleena Abdul Rashid, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on Refugee Policy, stressed the need to urgently “formulate policies that protect those who have sought temporary refuge on our shores, including those from Palestine”.
“We call for an immediate ceasefire, the urgent protection of civilians, the facilitation of unimpeded humanitarian aid, and the prevention of full-scale genocide in Gaza.
“(The government should also) start the implementation of the amended National Security Council Directive No. 23, which will grant temporary rights to refugees in Malaysia,” said the Bukit Bendera MP in a statement last month.
Currently, Malaysia is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.
There are some 600 Palestinian refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN High Commissioner For Refugees here as of end-October, said the body.
Over 11,000 killed
Israeli airstrikes have killed 11,078 Palestinians in Gaza as of November 10, a UN relief body confirmed.
The Gaza Health Ministry has not updated the death toll since yesterday after the collapse of services and communications at hospitals in the north, it added.
Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al Qidra was quoted as saying that at least 32 patients at the al-Shifa Hospital have died over the past three days, including three premature babies, Al Jazeera reported yesterday.
And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
- Exodus 13:1-2
Operations at the largest hospital in the besieged Palestinian territory were suspended after it ran out of fuel.
In the occupied West Bank, at least 186 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since October 7, according to the health ministry. – The Vibes, November 14, 2023
Dulu lagi Sarawak sudah bawak masuk ratusan ribu pendatang dari China. Sekarang sudah dapat IC Malaysia terus bersikap zionist. Nampaknya kena tarik balik IC Malaysia daripada kiasu2 keturunan cina komunis ini. Sarawak akan lebih damai dengan kaum2 pribumi yang ada sekarang.
ReplyDeleteMfer, DON'T fart.
DeleteTake a cracked mirror & look at the reflection when u stared into it.
Ooop… Jangan lupa, u memang bukan kaum2 Pribumi di M's Ian!
Malaysia can easily absorb 100,00 -200,000 pious Muslim Palestinian refugees.
ReplyDeleteThey would be most welcome here, and far more positive step than the silly boycotts that Malays are currently carrying out.
Mfer, u contribute yr heirloom for just the transportation cost?
DeleteSEND THE 100,000 TO KELANTAN KEDAH PERLIS AND TRENGGANU....AND LET THEM LEARN THE JORDAN, EGYPT, SYRIA FATE....STUPID NATION MALAYSIAL WILL PAY THE PRICE OF THEIR HAMAS TERRORIST SUPPORT.....TIME TO GULING ANWAR AND NO MORE UMNO EX UMNO AS PM....SARAWAK OPENG FOR PM IS THE CRY NOW!!
ReplyDelete