Dennis Ignatius
~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.
Should Malaysia help the Palestinian People?
05WednesdayFeb 2025
Posted in Gaza, International Affairs, Middle East
[1] Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that the government will help in the reconstruction of Gaza by building a hospital, a school and a mosque has drawn a lot of flak. Many are arguing that the government has no business spending public funds on foreign ventures when there are so many pressing domestic needs – hospitals are overcrowded, rural schools are dilapidated, etc.
[2] It’s good that we are having this discussion on whether a small developing country like Malaysia should be helping other nations. Some argue that charity begins at home: taken to its logical conclusion it means we do little or nothing since there will always be pressing local needs. Can we find the right balance between attending to our own needs while still helping those less fortunate in other countries?
[3] Malaysia has benefitted tremendously from international assistance. According to the World Bank, net official development assistance as of 2022 was approximately USD4.9 billion. Many countries came alongside us to help with all kinds of assistance programs. Isn’t it time that we think of helping others?
[4] If ever there was a people in need of help and compassion it is surely the Palestinians in Gaza. They have faced the most horrendous acts of genocide the world has seen in a very long time. The statistics paint a grim picture. After 470 days of almost non-stop bombardment, more than 50,000 have been killed, hundreds of thousands wounded, at least 11,000 remain unaccounted for. More than 90% of the region’s infrastructure including hospitals, schools, water and electricity facilities have been destroyed. 95% of the population is displaced, mass starvation looms.
[5] Irrespective of whether we see Hamas as terrorists or freedom fighters, we cannot be indifferent to the terrible plight of the Palestinian people. It is simply unconscionable to ignore their existential struggle for survival because some of our schools are dilapidated, or our hospitals need more investment. Malaysians are surely better than that.
[5] A big part of the problem is that our assistance programs are often ego driven, nothing more than an opportunity for our leaders to preen their feathers abroad and win votes at home.
[6] Anwar’s poorly thought through initiative to bring wounded Palestinians to Malaysia for treatment of course made him look good, but all told it was poor way to utilize our limited resources. As well, the sight of Palestinians rioting over conditions at a Defence Ministry facility was embarrassing to say the least. Now he’s at it again with plans to help rebuild Gaza even though the situation there is far from stable. He’s also promising assistance to Lebanon.
[10] During his time in office, Dr Mahathir liberally dispensed billions on several Islamic and Third World causes. It is one reason why Mahathir remains popular in many parts of the world. Whether or not it was a wise use of public funds is something else.
[11] In 2002, Mahathir stunned the world when he pledged US$300 million (over a billion ringgit) for Lebanon’s reconstruction at the Paris II conference. It was the third largest pledge after Saudi Arabia (US$700 million) and France (US$500 million). Three years later, Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated, and the country was plunged into a crisis it is yet to recover from.
[12] We should learn from our mistakes. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel with expensive and unsustainable programs of our own, it would be better to work with international agencies and local partners. In Gaza, there’s UNWRA and other international agencies that are doing good work. Now that the border crossing into Egypt is open, many wounded and traumatised people are crossing over into Egypt for medical attention. Helping the Egyptians care for injured Palestinians instead of bringing them here would be a better option.
[13] We also need to take religion out of the equation. The Palestine issue is not a religious one per se; it’s a humanitarian crisis. If it is made into an Islamic issue, don’t expect non-Muslims to respond enthusiastically. Malaysia is a nation of many ethnicities; assistance programs should be based on need not on religious affiliation. Mosque-building and other religious assistance should therefore be left to private Muslim groups to organize and finance.
[15] We also need keep politics out of the equation. No doubt many grumble about these initiatives because they are just fed up with the prime minister’s antics and his penchant for showmanship. But the Palestinian people should not have to pay the price for any antipathy we may have towards our own leaders. So, let’s pull together and work out the best way to help the people of Gaza to the best of our ability.
[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 05 February 2025
Malaysia First
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